


Harry Potter and the Lovers of Future and Past

by Christina_Potter_09



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family, Friendship, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:58:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 58,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Christina_Potter_09/pseuds/Christina_Potter_09
Summary: Post DH No ep. A drunken night in Vegas leads to unexpected ties, troubles with international wizarding law & many mixed feelings for Harry & Hermione...The Return of Lily and James Potter due to the usage of the Resurrection Stone by someone who wishes to make Harry see the Light, doesn't help much. Friendships, Marriage, Death and Ever After get all mixed in a story about Love.





	1. Late Night Talk

**Author's Note:**

> this is a story sweetly dedicated to my friend Maria (Marla1 on ff and soon to be here in ao3 as well)

_Harry Potter and the Lovers of Future and Past_

_By Christina Potter 09_

_Chapter 1 - Late Night Talk_

_Summer 2010_

The brown haired woman was lying on the hotel bed, wide awake. The trip from the United Kingdom to the United States of America had lasted almost two hours, two hours of spinning and rushing through the atmosphere thanks to the transatlantic portkeys the ministry had administrated for the National Team of Quidditch and all the close people of the players.

She was possibly the closest person of one of the players, the team's captain. And she smiled at the thought as tomorrow, she would watch him leading of the English team against the States in the final of the contest in Los Angeles where she currently stayed in the Wizarding hotel the team was also staying.

She wasn't interested in Quidditch but she had read about it of course, the English team hadn't reached the final of the contest since 1844. The team had been that close to reach the final in 1914 but two days before the actual match, the First Muggle World War started… the fans of the team had been almost insulted by the cancelation of their Wizarding sport because of the politics of Muggles but soon the world, both Muggle and Wizarding was facing the ugliness of human nature that reached limits similar the ones of the Wizarding Wars where dark magic was involved.

She was completely shut off her thoughts of Quidditch and history when she heard a knock on the door and she stood up from her bed, crossed the room and reached the door, curious as who it'd be in such a late hour.

'Did I wake you?' A sheepish smile, hands in his pajama pockets, pale skin and familiar features with two bright emerald eyes looking at her expectedly.

'No… but I thought the players were to have no distractions from friends and people close to them, Harry.' Hermione said and Harry chuckled and shrugged.

'I'm the captain, let alone the Savior, the Conqueror, the Man who Won… I do what I want,' he tried to boast but failed, making her laugh as she made space for him to get in the room. 'And I knew you wouldn't be asleep because of the portkey travel.' He added and she smiled and nodded. They were thirty years old and friends ever since they were eleven, they knew each other's sleeping hours, waking hours, every hour as if they were their own.

'Excited about tomorrow?' she asked as she collapsed back on the bed and he followed, crushing next to her on the mattress, he took out of his pocket his wand and accioed two bottles of water Hermione had on a table across the room for them to drink and a bag of  _Lays_  that lay on the same surface.

'Very… especially in case of the team's defeat and everyone's assumption that indeed, I made a mistake that I turned my back to the Auror department and chose to zoom around on a broom….' Harry said in a casual voice but Hermione could hear the underlined tone of bitterness and honesty. He was saying the truth, the moment he had chosen to become a Quidditch player, more than a decade ago, the entire Wizarding Community had almost opposed to his choice, claiming he would lose a career as an Auror. Thing was, they had no idea about half the things he had been through in the horcrux hunt, and they had no idea about him as a person. Ten years in the team and he had became the captain, leading the country to the final match of the contest and he had everyone's blessings, blessings that would be turned into curses muggle and not if the team was to lose the next day.

'You know they'll never be satisfied.' Hermione replied and Harry could hear the same bitterness in her own voice as she had been through a similar Odyssey.

Hermione Granger was made for Greatness, she had proved herself as a person of value and not just Harry Potter's best friend and for the  _Daily_   _Prophet_ , Harry Potter's love interest. She had proved herself as a woman of great knowledge and power, thus the entire community had expected her to become at least the Minister of Magic at age twenty, right after the official end of her studies in Hogwarts School or even better, the first Magical Prime Minister of England.

Hermione buying Flourish and Blotts as the owners were to close the bookstore due to retirement and extending it into the largest magical bookstore in Europe, was something that disappointed hundreds of people, same people that would have no bookstore to buy the School Books of their children from...

But she hadn't cared about what the others thought of her and what they thought of Harry. They had fought a war, they had tried so hard to survive every day and if he wished to zoom around on a broom all day, she was fine by it as long as he had a fall-proof spell on and she believed she could make a change in the world by keeping people educated. No Auror missions and no more nightmares of enemies and evil Wizards had to be faced from the two best friends, they had done their share in the world and even more.

Harry smiled at Hermione with a knowing smile she knew all too well and she chuckled, he was teasing her.

'What? I like the Hermione No-Shit-Given Granger!' Harry laughed and Hermione gasped and shoved him away on the mattress as he laughed. He wasn't the thin boy he once was, years of practice and the life of an athlete had kept him slender but his body had been built up with muscle, his eyes no longer needed glasses, an elegant layer of hair covered his cheeks, making his eyes even brighter in contrast with his pale skin.

'You hang around with the guys from the team way too much,' Hermione laughed as she sipped from her bottle of water and he smiled.

'At least they, like you, don't expect more things than I can give, at least not in the department of zooming on the broom.' Harry said and Hermione again got the hint and sobered up.

'Ginny?' she only asked and he sighed and this time flopped on his back with a sight.

'I keep repeating myself, I invited all of the Weasleys here for the match and she read too much into it, just like she did when I got in the party she had organized and invited everyone, like when we had the European Teams party and again, I invited everyone. She doesn't want to accept that she and I can't work. I tried more than once and it's not working.' Harry complained and Hermione sighed and nodded her head.

She knew all about the deal with Ginny and Harry, ever since the end of the war, Ginny had been trying from time to time to get back with Harry and he had tried to work things out with her but after the war, they weren't they same people and even if Ginerva tried to ignore the changes, Harry couldn't see past them. The relationship had turned unhealthy with fits of jealousy from Ginerva, outbursts of frustration from Harry and the entire Wizarding World watching Ginerva trying too much and Harry almost avoiding any kind of even friendly affection as to save himself from Ginny's attempts.

'You're not alone in this. Ron was almost suffocating during the trip.' Hermione spoke this time and Harry turned his head and looked at her tired eyes.

'He told me he'd try again with you,' Harry admitted, Hermione sighed.

'Did you tell him I was sure of it and I wasn't interested?' she asked and he sighed this time.

'Yes…'

'Perfect.'

Strangely, things with Hermione and Ron had been quicker, something that came as a surprise to the ones who knew them. They became a couple after the war and Ron truly tried to change while Hermione tried to let her guards down but they ended up in a suppressed relationship full of pretending and disappointment. The one year they were together led to a huge fight in the Christmas day of 1999 and almost the complete disaster of their friendship as the lines between old annoyances and friendship were still blurry for the two. However, Ron, like Ginny had made some attempts to mend things romantically, he tried to be himself and after Hermione had tried the medicine, she knew things would be even worse for both of them as a couple and the remains of their friendship.

The deterioration of Hermione and Ron's relationship had led to changes between the two men of the trio as well. Harry had tried to be neuter between his friends but usually it was Hermione who ended up in his flat with tears in her eyes and it was him who picked up the pieces after every fight, it was him who confronted Ron for his cruel words and it was him who took the blows from Ron's jealousy that never truly died before Harry and Hermione's relationship.

_You choose him._

Ron had never forgotten these three words he had told Hermione in that tent in the middle of nowhere, and he had repeated them over and over in fights before Harry or in his absence, making things clear about how little he had trusted Hermione while with him and how he felt about Harry himself.

'Anyway,' Harry finally concluded and brought both back in reality. 'What you think will happen tomorrow?' he asked and she could see he was nervous. She smiled and took his hand in hers.

'The match will start in a sea of red and white and blue, the anthems will be heard, the Lion and the Dragons of England will rise as the mascots, followed by the Americans' Eagle and then you'll start playing, the score will get high, like half the audience in the stadium thanks to the new rules of usage of Beladona in the contest –which may I add, I disapprove strongly-. And then you'll make an amazing catch of the Snitch, the Team will win, Ginny will start making interviews about how proud she is of you… your fanclub in the USA will skyrocket and you and the team will get drunk while the  _Prophet_  the next day will be worshiping you.' Hermione described what was more likely to happen in her own mind and Harry laughed at the end of it.

'What about you?' he asked and she grinned.

'I will remain sober until I am to drag your sorry ass back here in the hotel… which I will probably do even before the game if we stay awake any longer.' Hermione answered and checked her wristwatch, a gift from Harry years ago as to "get out of that bookhole before the sun sets for good at least once per week" as he had said with a smile when he showed it to her in her twenty second birthday. Harry sighed and nodded as he stood up with a small groan, their hands no longer in each other's palm.

'You're right, Hermione, as always.' He said and looked at her in the eyes for a moment, Hermione would swear he was about to say something more, but he finally took another gulp from the water and smiled at her as he made two steps closer and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

'Sleep tight,' he whispered against her skin and she inhaled as his familiar scent washed all over her with the gesture of the light kiss.

'Good night, Harry, sweet dreams.' She almost whispered and wondered what in the world was wrong with her. The Lines had been untypically drawn a very long time ago, things were clear with each other, they were like siblings.

'Night…' he whispered and finally moved away.

She wanted to stop him for some reason, maybe offer him to sleep in the same room with her like they had done for monhts in the hunt, maybe stay another ten minutes as she still felt wide awake from the portkey flight and the rush of emotion from his tender gesture.

She said nothing however, remained on her bed silent, watching him leave the room and close the door behind him with something incomplete between them hanging in the air…


	2. Drunk and Enduring

Chapter Two - Drunk and Enduring

'We'll soon be World Champions!' Hermione heard Mr. Weasley exclaiming in enthusiasm as she and the Weasley family were moving up the stairs that led to their VIP seats of the Hecate stadium that was built right outside the muggle city of Los Angeles.

Ron was right next to Hermione and he smiled at her as she looked at him. 'What do you think? We'll be champions?' he asked and Hermione kept her smile on although she knew it wasn't in Ron's character to question anything Quidditch related.

'I think we'll be,' She finally concluded and he smiled and cheered on as they reached the section with the rest of the selected few that would watch the match from that spot. Hermione looked around her and couldn't deny the pulse the thousands of people were giving in anticipation.

The Hecate stadium was certainly larger than the one in England, the name given by the Goddess of Witchcraft it had certainly the extravagant feeling the Americans had wished to give to the largest as of yet, Quidditch stadium around the world. The hundred and fifty thousands of people in the massive place were creating a huge live painting of red, white and blue as both national teams shared the same colors. The English, British and U.S. flags were everywhere and creating beautiful scenery of one of the most important sport encounters of modern history.

Hermione was ready to sit next to Ron who had kept a seat empty for her two seats from the end of the front row, when a hand wrapped around hers and she turned to find no one else but one of her oldest foreign friends.

'Victor!' she exclaimed and hugged him warmly. Victor Krum and Hermione had kept their friendship through letters and some rare occasions as this one where they met in Quidditch parties or pitches thanks to Harry's career. The former Quidditch player had remained handsome with his hard features, built body full of muscle and gentle eyes..

'I knew if Harry Potter was playing, Hermione Granger would be there to watch,' he said with his English improved over the years, he wasn't a sixteen year old anymore. Hermione chuckled and smiled brightly at him who even let down by her in the romantic level, he had remained a good and loyal friend over the years. 'The England colors suit you.' He added as he looked at her up and down, she was wearing jeans and boots but her t-shirt had the three dragons of the Quidditch team on, her scarf had England's color and she had taken it a step further and painted a line with white and red on her cheeks, her hair always in a bushy ponytail, out of the way.

'Thank you,' she said with a small blush, 'You're here for the match?' she asked and he smiled and nodded.

'Bulgaria lost from Peru in the Semi-Finals but it's always a joy to coach your team to the World Cup, since I don't play anymore… plus it's nice to feel the thrill of it even off the broom.' Victor said as he looked at the thousands of watchers with longing in his eyes. Hermione remembered he had finished his career four years ago and ever since had remained in his national team but this time in the position of the coach. 'How are you doing?' he asked as he gestured for the both of them to sit in the last two seats of the front row, to Ron's disappointment and annoyance.

'I'm great, the bookstore is now enlarged and gives even more profit, I'm waiting tens of new series of books before the start of the new school season.' Hermione said with enthusiasm about her own work and Victor smiled at her with affection.

'Always the… how you call it in England…?' he wondered and struggled for the word.

'The Book-Worm,' she gave him the answer and he laughed his booming laugh and nodded.

'That one! I'm happy for you, Hermione. Harry Potter is a vey lucky man!' Victor said sincerely and Hermione frowned just a little at his words.

'What do you mean?' she asked gently and he only smiled and started cheering as the Minister for Magic of the United States stood up and moved to the podium of the stadium for the opening. Hermione had no more time to speak as the Minister charmed his voice and started speaking.

'IT'S MY SINCERE PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU ALL, QUIDDITCH FANS TO THE FINAL MATCH OF THE 426th WORLD CUP!' The man said and everyone cheered around the stadium. His place was taken by two men who would describe the entire match for the people in the stadium and the millions of wizards in the Wireless that were listening to the magical stations of Quidditch around the globe.

'WELCOME EVERYONE! THIS IS THE FINAL OF THE CONTEST AND OH BOY! WHAT A MATCH? THE QUEEN CERTAINLY WISHES FOR THE STATES TO LOSE AND THE STATES WISH TO CELEBRATE ANOTHER INDEPENDENCE DAY!'The man with the American accent started and both sides cheered for their own team.

'WE HAVE THE GUESTS ARRIVING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! ENGLLLAAAAAAAND!' the other host said in a British accent and at that moment, the national team zoomed in the stadium within a frenzy of screams, only then, Hermione noticed the countless banners with Harry's face on, both from the British and the Americans. The team's emblem was also everywhere with its three yellow dragons, two Bludgers and a Quaffle between them, all over a background of four chequered squares of red and white.

The mascots of the team entered the stadium and everyone cheered as this time, the team's sport president had chosen four real teen dragons that entered the stadium under the care of trainers. Two Common Welsh Greens and two Hebridean Blacks, the native dragons of Britain, flapped their tails and groaned towards the place the Americans were coming, in a trained move of what the Americans should expect.

'AND NOW THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! COME ON, BOYS!' the American sportsman cheered.

The American team arrived through screams and cheers that still addressed the English Team and more specifically Harry. They did their special move on their brooms and soon were faking a bow gesture as their mascots entered the stadium. Hippogriffs showed up all proud with their heads high and their winds stretched. The Dragons breathed fire and the Hippogriffs answered with screams and flapping of their wings, the trainers of both sides kept the beasts in check as not to have the pandemonium of previous contests.

The match was about to start and Hermione had already spotted Harry in his scarlet colors, he was leading of the team, giving hands with the other captain mid-air and moving to his position as the Seeker, for a moment he turned his head and looked towards the VIP section of the watchers.

Hermione heard from her left Ginny squealing and saying something in enthusiasm but on her right, she heard Victor's subtle chuckle and a few words that seemed very much like "a lucky man indeed", Hermione could have sworn Harry was looking right at her.

The match started the moment the mascots were withdrawn and the balls released. The players zoomed around the pitch with talent and efficiency you can see only in the level of the World Cup. Hermione kept her eyes on Harry but the new Thunderbolts 1 of the National Team made her work difficult.

'Come on, England!' Ron screamed by her side and she chuckled as the crème of the stadium in that part of the stands were screaming like crazy, all fanatics of a good match, high positions and profiles forgotten before the thrill of the moment. Hermione looked at Ron for and smiled for his positive attitude before his friend who was in the national team.

If Harry and Hermione had been a disappointment for many with their career choices after the war, there was no way to describe how people had felt about Ron. After the war, he never returned to Hogwarts to complete his year, just like Harry, they had decided both to try the Quidditch tryouts for various teams of the league, with Harry wishing and achieving to enter the Puddlemere United and Ron trying for the Canons. It was where it showed that Ron was never a great Quidditch player. Harry entered the team while Ron failed to and he decided to try and help at least for awhile his brother George with the shop in Diagon. That was almost eleven years ago. Ron had taken over Fred's place and soon the two brothers were opening another shop in Hongsmeade -materializing Fred's dream- and then two more in Salem and New Orleans and four more in European Wizarding places as Prague, Athens, Berlin and Paris.

Even if now Ron was much more comfortable with the ways his professional life had turned out to be, Hermione still remembered the months he spent envying, snapping and acting selfishly before Harry who had just started in Puddlemere or the way he had stormed out of the Burrow when Harry had announced that the National Team's coach had contacted him.

She sighed and decided to put everything in the past. Ron was happy, Harry was happy and the Wizarding community and their stupid expectations be damned, the three of them were happy with their jobs and their friendship even through damaged as a trio.

She was paying little attention to the match that had been set on fire as the Americans in blue and the English in red were scoring like crazy. The fans wouldn't stop screaming and even in the VIP sections most of the people were standing and gesturing for the teams just like the coaches were doing in their own spots of the stadium.

At that moment Harry zoomed right before the VIP section and the American seeker followed right after him, Hermione caught glimpse of him and everyone started screaming as he was going for the Snitch in amazing speed.

The two seekers started bumping on each other by the shoulder, trying to slow each other down while they kept their eyes on the Snitch that suddenly flew up like a bullet, causing both players to do the same. Harry found the chance to move just a little bit faster but the timing was wrong as a bludger was sent to his way at the moment he was to catch the Snitch. One of England's beaters dodged the black ball of metal but the moment was lost for both seekers and the Snitch was gone again. Hermione could see Harry cursing as he scanned the vast stadium up and down for the golden little devil. Hermione sighed but clapped for the try, they were that close.

The game went on with both teams trying group efforts, solos and risky moves like jumping off the broom as to score the quaffle and then landing on the right way just as not to fall in the void. Hermione in times like this, realized even more why she would never play Quidditch, it was enough cardio watching the match…

She checked her wristwatch with a smile as it was a gift from Harry and realized that it had already been an hour and half of the game, time flew by when your best friend was trying to win the Quidditch Cup.

The Americans scored five goals in a row but the English answered with six and soon for some reason the four beaters were engaged in a quarrel that had the referee pausing the match for seconds, giving time out punishments to both teams and restoring the match with only the chasers and Seekers on their own while the bludgers remained uncontrolled.

'Be careful, Harry!' Ginny screamed from her spot on the VIP section and Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. Ginny was also a Quidditch player for the Holyhead Harpies and always pretended to be the expert on everything Quidditch related, especially when Harry was around as to be swiped of his feet with her unlimited knowledge on things already taught to children…. Hermione needed to stop thinking so bitterly of her friend just because she was trying the things she would never do herself.

'Even the World Cup is not interesting enough to Miss Granger.' Victor joked by her side, bringing her back to reality. 'But you know, glaring like that to his ex is not really helping… maybe hex her, that's what a Balkan woman would do to competition.' He added with mischief in his eyes and she blushed, chuckled, shoved his arm playfully and resumed her attention to the match.

The Beaters were out of their timeout again and were zooming after the bludgers like maniacs in their try to make up for lost time, the chasers took notice and started backing each other again. It all happened in a flash. The American seeker was after the snitch, Harry was after both a tenth of the second later, the sportsmen and the entire stadium erupted in screams of excitement and then the snitch was trapped between Harry's fingers as tightly as possible with the English team being sent to heaven of the Cup.

'POTTER DID IT! THE BOY WHO AT LAST GAVE THE WORLD CUP TO ENGLAND! OUR WORLD CHAMPIONS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!' the sportsman from England was screaming in a frenzy like the rest all around the stadium. Hermione was clapping furiously, singing the national anthem, the players' names and various songs for the team like the rest and of course Ron found the chance to hug her tightly and kiss her on both cheeks as everyone hugged everyone in happiness.

The Ministers for Magic of both countries moved to the podium after a few minutes and the American team reached them for the medals of the second place, everyone cheered and clapped for them and then the English followed. The Minister for Magic of England, Kingley Shacklebolt smiled brightly as Harry reached him still on his broom and handed him the cup while thousands of magical cameras were snapping the moment, one of them was of Molly Weasley's.

Harry took the massive golden Cup with the small glowing globe in its center and beamed around the stadium in happiness before he could hand it to his teammates who took it in turns and cheered before the team could start circling the stadium in a group. The Dragons were released again in the stadium and breathed fire up in the air from the four corners of the stadium as their trainers positioned them. Hermione kept clapping satisfied with Harry's happy face as he moved around on his broom all smiles and joyful beaming.

It was at least half an hour later when everyone from the VIP section moved to the area of the after party within the stadium, a feast was already organized with huge tables heavy with food and drinks, the reporters in a corner for some pictures and words from the players and various important people and everyone waited for the champions to arrive.

First, the Americans got in the room and everyone clapped for the good try and the second place they had earned, some of the players shook hands with various people and Victor seemed to know at least the older ones who greeted him with shakes of the hand and pats on the shoulder.

The English got in the room last and everyone cheered as they carried the World Cup with them. The reporters snapped photos and stopped every interview they were taking at that moment from various people as to capture the moment of the team's arrival.

To Hermione's dismay and utter annoyance, as expected, she saw Ginny rushing close to the team and hugging Harry furiously, he'd been taken aback as he was talking with a teammate while the flashes got crazy. He smiled embarrassed and took Ginny's arms from around him, smiled at her, said something Hermione was too far from them to hear and finally moved away from her, leaving her a few steps behind with a solemn face of few seconds before she could smile brightly at the cameras.

Hermione's smile returned as Harry moved closer to where she and the rest were, he thanked Arthur who hugged him like a father would do, then he shared more hugs with the rest of the Weasleys and finally hugged Ron with a huge smile.

'Well done, mate, after this you need to go to the Canons!' Ron joked and Harry laughed out loud, his unshaved face making him look slightly older than he was.

'No chance in hell, Weasley.' He declared and laughed again as he finally looked at Hermione and opened his arms for her to come closer. She did so with a huge smile and even though she could see the flashes going crazy once more for their embrace, she didn't care. His muscular arms wrapped around her and soon she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet. She chuckled and laughed as he set her back down and smiled brightly at her.

'Just like you said it'd go, Hermione,' Harry said with a huge smile on his face and she shrugged and nodded.

'I'm good at predicting the obvious,' Hermione replied and he laughed more.

'You're the Brightest Witch of your age for good reason, is my opinion.' He said and she blushed as he nudged her elbow playfully. As the rest were talking among themselves, commenting on each moment of the match, he lowered his lips closer to her ear.

'Thank you for yesterday's talk, I really needed the reassurance.' He admitted and this time she smiled at him with her timeless smile she had only for him.

'Oh Harry, it was nothing,' she said and he smiled and nodded again. The two took drinks and remained by each other's company as they observed the people around. Hermione spotted Ginny talking to some reporters.

'It was embarrassing the way she threw herself at me the moment I got in the room,' Harry commented as he had seen which she was looking at. Hermione sighed and drunk from her wine.

'You didn't expect it?' she asked honestly and he sighed.

'Not really, not after the talk we had right before the portkey travel here… I cleaned things with her, again, and she still thinks I'm sixteen and that throwing her arms around me after a Quidditch victory will do the trick…' He admitted and Hermione tried to remain neuter before the things Harry said and she agreed with.

'Lets get drunk!' a teammate of Harry's called out the moment the reporters were escorted outside, a few minutes after and everyone around the room seemed more relaxed and ready to have the time of their lives, they were in Los Angeles and they could have a lot of fun.

Soon they were all drinking and even if Hermione wished to remain sober as to keep some control, Harry made sure her glass was always filled either with elf-wine or firewhiskey. She had promised herself she wouldn't drink but he seemed so happy and funnily drunk that she allowed herself to drink a little bit more than her standard for the occasion, it wasn't every day indeed your best friend was leading the national team to the World Cup.

She was certain she was still fine but between singing with the rest, laughing at Harry's jokes and everyone's jokes and trying to stop drinking as Harry kept on proposing for the both of them and their future and then clearing his glass, Hermione started feeling tipsy.

She was soon giggling by his side and he found her voice adorable, the usually sober and controlled Hermione Jane Granger was all loosen up and actually giggling as he refilled their glasses again and again. He didn't care about Ginny, the reporters and the frenzy when they'd be back in England or the hectic times he'd have with Puddlemere in a month's time when the league was starting again. All he cared about was that he had survived the war, had made a life for himself and now he was celebrating the winning of the World Cup he led of with his best friends, and most importantly, Hermione was right there to enjoy the victory like he always wished for her to be, by his side.

'You know, Victor told me before,' Hermione started talking, her tongue felt ready to form words she wouldn't have formed if sober, she giggled at the thought. 'That you're a lucky man to have me,' she added and Harry looked at her completely seriously for a moment.

'I know,' he said and she looked at him as seriously as he could before they could both burst in laughter a moment later, everything seemed funny, hilarious even.

'And truth is, I'm lucky to have you as well,' Hermione added and this time they couldn't stop the fit of giggles they both had.

'You know, Hermione,  _my_  Hermione, it would have been a lot easier if we had looked straight at some things a loooooong time agooooo, but noooo we keep barking around the wrong trees…' Harry said honestly, too honestly, causing both to laugh again. The room was emptying from people but the two didn't seem ready to leave.

'I know… imagine how easier things would have been if we… we…' she tried again before she could hiccup twice 'if we had stayed in the forest of Dean to grow old!' she said and after a small pause from both at the possibility, more laughter followed.

'You and I… just the two of us!' Harry said and both of them laughed until they could do it anymore and they fallen in an awkward silence between two drunk people. At that moment an angry Ginny appeared and looked at both.

'It's time for all of us to head back to the hotel, I think,' she said as she looked at Harry's arm that was wrapped around Hermione's shoulders as they sat by each other. Harry barked a laugh and shook his head.

'Or what, Ginny? Let us be, we made it through a crazy hunt in the middle of nowhere, just the two of us, we'll make it through tonight as well. Hermione and I always make it.' Harry said and even if Hermione wouldn't have approved of Harry's exasperated and curt tone to Ginny, at that moment, she couldn't agree more with his words. Ginny huffed in annoyance, shot a last glare at Hermione exclusively this time and left the table.

'She doesn't deserve all this,' Hermione admitted. 'She needs to move on and find someone who will care for her, maybe go back to Dean,' she added and the two remained to stare at Ginny's back for a few seconds until they started laughing again, Harry filling once more the glasses for them to empty them right afterward.

'We don't deserve  _any_  of this but here we are, drunk and enduring.' Harry said and Hermione looked at him.

'I know…' she added and as he looked at her, an idea came in his mind.

'Do you trust me?' he asked and she looked at him, the last part of her brain that still wasn't swimming in alcohol working for the answer.

'With my life,' she replied and he smiled, taking the Snitch he had gotten out of his pocket along his wand.

' _Portus_.' Harry said clearly and the Snitch glowed blue for a moment.

'What are you doing, Harry?' Hermione asked with a chuckle and he smiled.

'What I want to, we won't apparate… a portkey is safe. Come on, you said you trust me. On the count of three.' Harry said and Hermione had no other choice but do what he said, her hand hovering over the snitch. 'One… two… three.' The two felt the sensation of portkey traveling immediately and found themselves in bundle of their own bodies in a busy street.

'Welcome to Las Vegas, the place we'll get married!' Harry exclaimed happily and Hermione couldn't stop the laughter from her lips in her drunken mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drunk harmony is funny harmony, isn't it? I hope you all enjoyed the quidditch match and our couple all drunk and ready to get married in vegas :P I like to think that just a little alcohol is enough for them to do something like that, especially after tipsy hermione in hbp and hypnotized harry in gof, soo what you think?


	3. Elvis and Dead People

Chapter Three – Elvis and Dead People

'It will be a life full of happiness!' Harry laughed out loud as he moved with Hermione by his arm close to the chapel with the neon lights all around.

'After so many years of fighting demons and villains!' Hermione called out as drunk and out of her somber mind. They both laughed.

'Remember when Voldemort was just right there? In the middle of the Great Hall? Daaamn it was awful!' Harry shouted and some other muggles, drunk as well cheered at the couple for no reason as the due stumbled closer to the chapel's door. It was open, just like countless other chapels, casinos, bars and clubs around Vegas.

'I do… I remember trying to pass by every enemy, hex everyone and reach you, but I remember you finishing him… and then I felt cold, empty, and then all my purpose was for you to be healed and happy.' Hermione was saying through laughter right before she could somber and find Harry pulling her closer to him.

Their lips met in a frenzy of need, lust, compassion and shared pain, hiding the other, overwhelming feelings they didn't dare name in their drunken state. They remained there, kissing each other with need, fighting for a dominance useless through the kiss that ended with a gasp and the two best friends staring in each other's eyes, maybe even for a moment, completely somber.

'Lets do this,' Harry finally said and took her hand and started moving inside the chapel with Hermione following.

They entered the place full of neon lights and plastic plants in a drunken haze and approached the desk where no one else but an Elvis Presley wannabe was grinning at them, possibly as drunk as the couple of best friends and soon-to-be couple of spouses.

'Well well, we have a couple ready to tie the knot with a bang!' the man said in a thick accent and then grabbed his guitar and started singing as Harry and Hermione started laughing like lunatics.

'We're ready, king… sir, to tie… the knot!' Hermione said between hiccups and Harry laughed as he scooped her in his arms and nodded.

'It'll be 50 bucks and 50 more for the rings, they're silver… but hey! They're your wedding rings, damn it!' Elvis said and brought a bottle from a drawer of the desk and gulped down some of the liquid in it, yep, definitely drunk…

'Search my pocket,' Harry said and Hermione tried to reach her hand down, grabbed his semi-stiff member, casing him to jerk and almost throw her down, laughed out loud and finally found the pocket with wallet instead the one with the wand. She opened it, still in Harry's arms and took out the hundred dollars for the wedding, gave them to Elvis and then put the wallet in her own pocket to save time. The fake Elvis took the money, took a paper form to fill the names of the legal contract and then led them to the main chapel with the 80's décor all around and brought them before the aisle.

'Your names, my sweets?' he asked and both friends tried to focus on the question while Hermione remained in Harry's arms.

'Harry James Potter, yep that one!' Harry said first and Hermione giggled and smacked another kiss on his lips.

'And Hermione Jane Potter, no Granger, it'll be Potter in a minute.' Hermione said and Harry almost dropped her in his laughter, causing both to laugh even harder.

Suddenly, the Elvis before them turned somber and adjusted his sunglasses, his sparkly magenta costume catching the light with its tens of crystals on it.

'OK, Harry James, repeat after me,' Elvis said and Harry nodded frantically. ' I take you, Hermione Jane, to be my wife, in good and bad, sickness and health and love you tender…' Elvis said and Harry cleared his throat and adjusted Hermione in his arms.

'I take you, Hermione… Jane, to be my wife, in bad and health, in sick and good and love you tendeeer!' he said and at the end he even sung the little phrase from Elvis' song, mismatching the vows but speaking them out nonetheless. Elvis clapped, whirled around himself and pressed a button of his guitar and an "awww" sound from a fake audience was heard, causing the three of them to laugh hysterically.

'Now, Hermione Jane, after me,' he said and pointed at Hermione who nodded happily. 'I take you, Harry James, to be my husband, in good and bad, sickness and health, and love you tender,' Elvis said and Hermione snickered and nodded frantically as well.

'I take you, Harry James, to be my husband… in good and bad, hik- in sickness and health, and looove you teeenderr.' Hermione repeated between hiccups that caused the couple to giggle and kiss passionately before Elvis.

'And since you're drunk and want to fuck each other's brains out, by the power and talent vested in me…' Elvis said and pressed another button, causing drums to be heard in a crescendo. Tried with effort to put on their rings as they were in no shape to make it with Hermione in Harry's arms and the amount of alcohol in their system. 'I pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride… again!' Elvis said and Harry left Hermione down on her feet only to lock her in another embrace and kiss her like there was no tomorrow.

'I just need you to sign up this paper and we're all good and legal.' Elvis said while the two kept kissing and both Harry and Hermione kept the kiss on, fumbled in their clothes until they found their wands and cast a signing spell on the paper before the bemused Elvis before they could apparate away.

'Wow… and then people don't believe I'm alive…' he said in his drunken haze before he could start playing his guitar with the tones of  _Suspicious Minds_ …

Harry and Hermione reached Los Angeles and the hotel's room that belonged to Harry with a loud crack and the miracle of not splinching themselves in the process. They were still locked in an embrace and fell on the bed in a hip of laughter, kisses and caresses.

'Dear wife!' Harry exclaimed as he paused for a moment and looked at Hermione, for that moment, everything felt right, he was a world champion, a traumatized war hero, and a married man.

'My husband,' Hermione replied and smiled at him, for a moment her mind cleared just a bit, and the heaviness of their action settled just a bit but that was all for a single moment, then she burst in giggles.

'Hermione Potter, it has a ring to it!' he said as he started lifting up the England t-shirt she was wearing the same moment Hermione attacked the buckle of his jeans. They struggled with their clothes, Harry ending up tearing off him his own blouse, almost falling off the bed in his try to take of his jeans without taking off his shoes and he simply lowered Hermione's jeans and let them hang from one of her legs in their haste to get naked.

'That's more like it,' Hermione whispered as Harry hovered above her and rubbed her pelvis with his own, causing both to moan as he brushed against her most sensitive part with his member. 'Harry…' she whispered as he lowered his head to trail kisses from her neck down to her throat, collarbone and then her breasts, filling his hands and mouth with her tender flesh. She arched her body and moaned loudly and the slowed down pace lasted only a moment more as they both attacked each other in feverish kisses and a tight embrace.

He was within her with a thrust of pleasure and drunken need, hidden feelings and undiscovered insecurities and the reality of what they're doing postponed for the next morning. They were moving against each other with passion, Harry caressing every inch of her body while she kissed, caressed and even clawed at his own body with need.

He moved on his back, taking her with him and she followed gladly, Harry had noticed her body for years now… he always knew there was a beautiful body, a beautiful girl under the Hogwarts robes, he was certain of it, but as he watched Hermione now, with her feminine carves, her full breasts and her flawless skin above him, he could truly realize, even with the alcohol in his system, that she was the one he should be having with him, in bed and in every other occasion and place, a long time ago. His drunken mind decided however to remain on the almost flawless skin of hers for now, as he reached up and touched a scar right above her heart. She looked down at him and her drunken blush deepened with embarrassment.

'Department of Mysteries, Dolohov,' she only said and he looked at her in the eyes, for a moment, his own mind cleared and he was seeing his best friend Hermione, his wife Hermione, staring down at him embarrassed of a war medal only a true warrior could have. He sat up and embraced her, turning the angle to the lotus and kissed her passionately.

'You're perfect,' he whispered and Hermione moaned as she raised just a bit as to move back down on him with his member deeper than before inside her body. She then noticed his own scar above the left side of his chest. He looked down at it for a moment.

'The locket, the night the doe appeared.' He said and she nodded and kissed him passionately but with a tenderness only she could show to him.

Everything was working out as it should be, all the foes were away, all the friends, stalkers, crazy fans and critics and fears had backed down and it was just the two of them. He with his always disarming truth and her, by his side, with all her logic tossed out the window and her heart out in the open and tied in a knot, literally, with his. Harry, her best friend, the first person in her life was her husband, and everything was perfect, everything was right, for that one night, everything had finally fallen into place.

She pushed him back down and kept moving above him, making both moan and scream in pleasure, it was what they always needed, what they never dared reach out and claim, only now they had it under a haze and the circumstances would be there along the hangover.

'Oh Harry!' Hermione screamed first, her entire body tingling, arching and burning with the ecstasy of her climax, milking him with her walls and her head falling back as she held hands with him, who at her sight of perfect pleasure and utter undo, couldn't last a moment longer and reached his own climax with a cry of her name and his own body surrendering to their encounter.

The first sunrise hit Hermione's face and she accepted the warm caress of it with a not so lady-like groan, she looked up and saw Harry's face down in the pillow next to hers, his arm holding her down awkwardly. Her eyes widened as she realized his bare ass was staring up at the room, just like her own bare ass was exposed on the side. They were as naked as the day they were born and that meant very naked. She was left speechless as flashes from the last night rushed in her mind and the memories of Elvis, public demonstration of magic, vows, alcohol and sex created a massive panic attack built.

She was ready to shake Harry awake, shake herself up and throw up because of the panic mixed with the hangover but a voice behind her made her freeze and turn her head slowly towards the source of the voice.

'Good morning, Hermione dear…' the semi-transparent form of Lily Evans Potter, right next to the also semi-transparent form of James Potter, was smiling amused at her.

This time she shrieked, she shrieked as loudly as a human can shriek at the sight of her best friend's dead parents–whose grave she visited often-, staring back at her with smiles on their faces while she was naked in bed with said best friend and flashes of a Las Vegas Elvis Presley wedding from the last night hammered her mind. Her body gave in to the panic, ignoring the hangover, and she jolted off her side in the bed, almost broke Harry's arm in her try to jump over his still asleep body and fell on the floor from the other side of the bed in a hip of pain, nausea and fright.

Harry felt the pain in his arm, making his realize the shriek wasn't in his dreams of getting married to Hermione before Elvis, strange dreams… he raised his head from the pillow and looked straight on the floor were Hermione was panting with wide eyes and very  _very_  nude…

'Hermione?' he could only ask, his mind still too hazed and in pain to ask himself about their state of undress, the dream that suddenly felt very real and her wide eyes. 'What's wrong?' he asked as if seeing his best friend naked by his bed was normal and he was only worried because of her frightened eyes.

'Harry… I think we're married…. And I think I see dead people….' She replied in a whisper and Harry heard the pair of snickering from behind him before he could turn his head to look at his parents.


	4. Priorities and Unsolved Mistakes

Chapter Four - Priorities and Unsolved Mistakes

'Hello, son,' James said with a casual smile on his face while Harry struggled to sat on his bare ass, hide his body with a sheet and at the same time, try to conceal Hermione's nakedness.

'D-dad? Mum?' he asked in disbelief as he remained with wild eyes to look at their semi-transparent forms in the corner of the room.

'It's us, Harry, someone is using the Stone and brought us back.' Lily tries to explain with her calming voice having a tiny echo. Harry couldn't believe his ears as he was seeing his parents in the same way he had seen them years ago for mare moments before he thought he'd face his end.

'Uhm… can you… can you turn around for a moment please?' Hermione's voice was heard from the bed's side and Harry looked down at the scarlet red cheeks of his very alive best friend who remained naked on the floor. Harry's eye was caught by the silver band around her wedding ring finger before he could check his own and find a matching one.

Oh Boy…

James and Lily sniggered as they turned their backs to the younger couple and Harry thought for a moment how stupid it was to ask for two actual ghosts to turn around and not look at them when they were supposedly always with them, he shuddered at the thought, his nakedness in bed with his best friend who seemed very married to him, started to sink in.

He helped Hermione stand up, stood up himself, blushed even more as they stumbled nakedly on each other until they could reach for their scattered clothes and put them on as quickly as possible. Hermione twisted her hair up in a bun and only then noticed the ring on her finger, a fresh panic attack rising.

'Ok, you can turn around now,' Harry said and his parents obeyed and smiled at Hermione as well.

'Hello, dear,' Lily said again and Hermione felt mortified as much as she panicked. Harry's parents were at the same bedroom with her and their son right after the first night of their marriage.

Her mind went blank as she realized about ten more things at the same time considering the marriage. She was left speechless for a few moments, not having processed at all the fact of the Potter's presence by the stone.

'Do you know who uses the stone? We must stop them, this is not right for any of us,' Harry asked his parents and they both shook their heads, their smiles fading and actual concern painting their semi-transparent features.

'We do not know, we can only control to who we are visible and to who we are not, but we do not know who is using the stone, you see a Hallow is not bound to its holder, only to the spirits it brings back.' Lily explained to her boy and her eyes were filled with longing.

'We know it's not right and we need to stop whoever it is the soonest but we also must admit that we missed you, Harry.' This time James said and Harry smiled at his parents as the last time he had seen them he had believed it was the last. The temptation had always been there but he had hoped he had known better, than that someone for some reason –certainly not out of concern or compassion- were using the stone, it was hard for him to even allow himself adjust to their presence in the tiniest, but still it felt great to see them again.

'We should inform the ministry of this, Kingsley will be able to help.' Harry finally said and this time looked at Hermione whose lips had remained silent and eyes were still wide.

'Hermione?' he asked and the young brunette looked at him with worry.

'The ministry will soon contact us, do not worry about it…' she said and as if on cue, there was a tapping on the window of a huge owl. Harry rushed to the window to open it while Hermione flopped on the bed and hid her face in her hands as the owl flew in the room, dropped a large envelope and then left as quickly as possible.

'Oh my God….' Hermione whispered as she glanced at the letter, Harry wasn't sure what to do while the Potters watched unable to interfere in the physical world.

The letter remained still on a table that had landed until it squirmed, shook and then hovered in the air on it own, the folds of the paper creating an almost human mouth that started talking formally.

' _Dear Mr. Harry James Potter and Mrs. Hermione Jane Potter –nee Granger_

_The ministry for magic would like to congratulate you for your recent wedlock and to inform you of the following new legal and economic issues that have been established since Mr. Harry James Potter is owner of vaults in Gringorts Bank with no deposit limit._

_Although the wedding ceremony took place in Muggle Grounds and outside the United Kingdom, the marriage is therefore valid._

_It will be required of the spouses to visit the British ministry within twenty working days and apply the new information of establishment required by the International Database of Domestic Affairs of the Wizarding and Muggle Communities._

_The new status of Mrs. Potter's vault is therefore shared with Mr. Potter's vaults (the #1294 Black family Vault and #1027 Potter Family Vault) and the missus has access to half the fortune of Mr. Potter because of the lack of prenuptial agreement signed and applied to the Ministry's Archive._

_The #3086 Granger Hermione Vault is therefore allowed to be modified by Mr. Harry James Potter and the money transferred to it will be accounted in the taxation for the ministry according Mr. Potter's fortune and combined properties both in the Wizarding and the Muggle world._

_The official announcement of the wedlock will be published in the social column of the Evening Prophet of the present day as to be formally announced like every other social event that possibly concerns legal issues with third parties or individuals._

_The properties of Grimmauld Place No12 and Diagon Alley No6 are therefore accounted as shared property of the spouses and it will be required to have both parties signing up for their taxation in common as both properties are active according the Control of Magical Activity Records of the Ministry._

_Sincerely_

_Caddice Brown  
Head of the Wizengamot Administration Services_

'Oh God, oh God, oh God,' was the only thing heard and came from Hermione's lips who had her head still buried in her hands. The letter stopped for a moment, leaving them all frozen until it moved in the air and started talking again.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Potter_

_The Improper Use of Magic Office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement detected the improper use of magic in the presence of a muggle via the use of the Apparition Technique at 4AM GMT-8 Las Vegas USA and demands the presence of both accused individuals in the Minister's Oval Office on Tuesday morning at 8 AM for the hearing appointed under the Legal Immunity Control for War Heroes, Veterans and Survivors, before the Minister himself. The deficiency of your presence in the appointed hearing will activate the warrant of arrest for improper use of magic in the presence of a muggle, violation of International Apparition Law in the United States and authority opposition._

_Sincerely_

_Agatha Moore  
Head of the Improper Use of Magic Office_

Harry's mind was racing as he hadn't only married Hermione, he had actually violated International law and soon, all of it would be plastered with huge letters on the Prophet as people like Skitter wouldn't let it go like this in the small column of standard social events of the community. Hermione was still holding her head with her hands and he knew she was the only who would be well read enough to answer his questions.

'How is it possible for a fake Vegas wedding that is not valid outside Vegas to be valid for our community?' he asked as he rubbed his hangover face and moved closer to Hermione, leaving the shock of seeing his parents aside for the new one of his marriage to no one else but the woman he wanted by his side for years, only not under such circumstances, and he just didn't want to consider the fact of last night's literal climax.

Hermione raised her head for a moment and looked at him. They were actually married, under a warrant and soon required to show their faces to the very well informed world of their marriage. She couldn't allow the panic at the thought of last night's bed activities, she was living a nightmare and she didn't want to lose her best friend, that was all she cared about.

'The Wizarding community law accepts every marriage of any kind, religious rites and social classes, it was a law passed in the mid eighteenth century after the first collapse of the blood status marriages around the Wizarding world.' Hermione replied with her voice trembling from the shock.

'And what about that database?' Harry asked and Hermione sighed.

'Since… I'm your-wife.' She said, still not believing he words she was uttering. 'We must apply for a place of residence in common and our combined income, some answers… about possible offspring and other legal crap we must fix.' Hermione said and Harry looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

'We can't just cancel the marriage? Take a divorce?' he wondered and for a moment he felt guilt at the flash of hurt on Hermione's eyes before she could stand up and pace the room, moving away from him and turning her back at the room. He hadn't meant it in a bad way, in any way actually, he was just curious as he had never researched the domestic laws of the ministry, or any other part of the system laws for that matter.

'Wizarding marriages are to be changed or canceled until the 7th hour after the signing of the contracts and then are to be revoked after the 77th day from the signing of the contract, it's all about spells and symbolisms that have to do with fertility, good fortune and power in the binding of the couple through marriage.' Hermione explained and felt another stab of pain at Harry's momentary widening of his eyes that she could see through the mirror on the wall of the room.

"Well we're certain Hermione will do nothing in these days to compromise your fortune, Harry, she's not a gold digger like sweet old Fangirl of yours.' James said to lighten the mood but got ghostly-elbowed and glared by Lily while he got the attention of the younger couple.

'Who do you mean?' Hermione asked out of curiosity before Harry could ask the same thing but Lily shook her head.

'No one, James is joking,' Lily said curtly for the first time while James only shrugged and smiled sheepishly at his wife and the alive people of the room. 'Well look, yes right now you're both worried and confused and panicked and you'll need time to work this out but James and I first and then with Remus, Sirius and Albus have been watching over you for years and we know you'll make it.

'However we need to focus on who is using the stone to have the two of us here.' Lily said, trying to gain control of the situation and the younger couple decided to listen to the redhead woman than deal with their issues for the moment.

'You have been summoned by the minister for the hearing of improper apparition, Kingsley is a good man who loves you both and I'm sure he'll understand so when he's done scolding at you, it'll be a good time to explain to him. James and I will appear to him to make a point. As much as we appreciate our time with you this is not normal and whoever causing this, knows Harry well enough to use us like this.' Lily said and both Harry and Hermione nodded at the seriousness of the matter.

'Truth is, as much as we love you, Harry, we wish for you to keep coming to our graves and leave flowers like you do so frequently with Hermione than have the power of the Hallow corrupting you, every moment is precious in this case.' Lily added and this time Harry and Hermione looked at each other and nodded.

'We will find a way for the marriage,' Harry added to his mother's words, confirming the need to deal with their mistakes, no matter how much it hurt to call this… unfortunate action an actual mistake, maybe everything was happening for a reason.

'But first we must figure out who stole the stone and why they're using it.' Hermione added her own part, always completing Harry's words, even now that she wanted to scream at him and herself and protect their friendship no matter how much it hurt to actually cancel the marriage to her best friend and possibly the only marriage she would ever have…. With the only person she'd ever wished to be married to.

They were married, and there were so many unsolved issues between them that had nothing to do with a stupid illegal apparition or stuff about their vaults. They had to figure out everything about what they had done, what it meant to them, to each other, their friendship and their lives and what they'd do for the next seventy six days that they were officially married and bound to each other along what everyone –including their very jealous and still claiming of Hermione, best friend– would say about the previous night.

The seventy seven day long honeymoon was on and it looked like Hell already…


	5. One Bane at the Time

_Chapter Five – One Bane at the Time_

'We'll have to talk to Ron and the rest, before the  _Prophet_  plasters it around the front page,' Hermione said as she looked at Harry this time and the Potters remained silent for their son's reaction to Hermione's words. He sighed and nodded, still looking at the forms of his parents in disbelief. Instead of facing the fact of talking to everyone, he decided to ask his parents one of the things that floated in his head in a rush.

'How come you decided to show yourselves to us?' he asked as casually as he could and the Potters gave small smiles at him.

'Whoever uses the stone had the intention of us showing our forms to you, but we decided it would be proper to show ourselves to Hermione as well, after all we consider her part of the family, married to you or not,' James said casually and made both Harry and Hermione blush and actually avoid each other's eyes. Hermione looked at Harry's parents for a moment and then lowered her head.

'Thank you, that means a lot to me, Mr. and Mrs. Potter,' she said modestly and even though she had been used to be talking to ghosts thanks to the Hogwarts spirits, it still felt strange to address Harry's parents. They smiled at her and this time Lily spoke with her warm voice even though it slightly echoed.

'Your actions through the years for Harry's life and happiness mean even more to us, Hermione, and please, call us by our names. James is right, we see you as our daughter in law.' Lily said and this time her son and Hermione blushed even harder. She gave a slight sight but decided not to say a word more as James was looking at her with a huge grin, she only winked at him once and then looked at the awkward living people before her.

'It's time for you to speak to your friends before it's up to the  _Prophet_  to do so, and it'd be best if you packed your stuff since we'll be leaving for England soon. Harry, I'm sure there'll be some kind of fiesta for the Quidditch Cup.' Lily said and Harry gave a small smile at his mother, it was the first time she was planning even the smallest thing in his life. He nodded and looked at Hermione who had remained silent and uncomfortable close to the window of the room.

'Hermione, could I talk to you for a moment please?' he asked and smiled sheepishly at his parents who nodded in understanding as he moved closer to Hermione and led her to the bathroom of the room out of courtesy as not to ask his parents to disappear from sight just like that.

Hermione nodded her head at the Potters before she could follow Harry in the bathroom and let him close the door behind him. The small room filled with awkwardness the moment they remained in the presence of each other.

'So…' Harry started and struggled to find the words as Hermione was usually the one who did the talking. Should he say a word about last night, not the marriage but what followed, should he let it be for now? He needed to talk to her even though he wasn't sure what to say and they had agreed upon not talking for all those things for now.

'Harry, look,' Hermione started and for a moment she looked at her best friend's oh-so-familiar eyes, she needed to at least put one thing back in place, even if there was possibility that place had always been wrong, she needed that old wrong, for all this new situation felt scary and strange. 'You're my best friend and I know that at some point, we'll have to talk about what happened last night here in the hotel…' she started and sighed as she looked around, worried to meet his eyes and what could be in them. 'But for now, let it be, we need to talk to everyone then go back to England, find Kingsley, explain to him about your parents and when we have some solid answer or someone other than us trying to explain who could be using the stone, we'll figure this out, after all, in seventy six days this will be over and we'll be back to normal.' Hermione was trying unsuccessfully not to stammer as she looked at her hands, the tiles of the room, even the bath.

Harry felt a strange pang of fear at the prospect of those days ending, he wanted to put things straight between him and Hermione but he also wanted to…. to explain to her that being married to Hermione wasn't that bad, he hated the desperation he saw in her eyes, old feelings and hidden possibilities burnt like lava within him at the prospect of all this being discomforting to her. He had hoped good friends can make even better partners but obviously she wasn't taking any chances. However that led him to ask the next question.

'If it's so hard for you, why did you sleep with me last night?' he asked boldly as flashes from last night rushed in his head, images of her breathing close to his lips, her soft skin against his own, her scar on her left breast, her voice moaning his name in pleasure as he thrust within her body.

Hermione's eyes focused on him again but this time her eyes were cold, calculating, the stare you do not wish Hermione Granger addressing you with. He almost regretted his words as he saw her guards coming up fast.

'I was drunk,' she said curtly, 'Just like you were,' she added and Harry felt the challenge in her tone, his hot-headed Gryffindor character pushed him to answer with a challenge of his own.

'They say people are true when drunk,' he said and let out the truth as much as he could, her eyes for a moment lost their cold as she looked straight at his.

Did he mean his words? Was he trying to tell her what she thought he did? Was she willing to accept what he meant? Would she try once again with her best friend, her closest friend? Her previous experience with Ron prevented her. She wasn't supposed to have so many questions for the person she knew better than herself, yet again, she wasn't supposed to be in such situation with that very same person when she had vowed to herself she would let herself feel the pain.

'They say a lot of things about drunk people, you shouldn't consider them all to be the truth,' she answered at last, she wasn't ready for that kind of conversation and she wouldn't have through challenges and riddles anyway. She had just asked him to let it be and all he was doing was pushing it further. He wasn't Ron who would have just let out a comment or even an insensible remark and leave. He was Harry and he knew how to get what he wanted from her.

She moved a step towards the door of the bathroom but Harry caught her hand and stopped her, their eyes met again and stared at each other for a moment. They had been like this before, on their own with their hands holding each other, not as to stop one another from leaving but in times of need, despair, danger, even close to death.

'Hermione…' he tried this time, it wasn't easy for him to challenge her, to use his knowledge of her character when her brown eyes looked at him like this, she always respected him when he wouldn't talk, not she was forcing him to do the same with her very eyes.

'Please, at least for now, let it be,' she said and he sighed, brought her hand close to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

'I know you think we fucked it all up, but I'm here for you just like I know you're here for me,' he finally said and he knew she understood his words, they had been running around the subject for years now, they knew better than that, but for now, he would grant her wish, he would let it be.

She finally nodded, not letting her hopes or panic rise at the prospect of his words and finally took her hand away and moved outside the bathroom to find no one else but Ron waiting in the room, the hangover of his was evident in his posture and eyes, the Potters were looking at him amused although he obviously couldn't see them. Hermione felt the panic she had fought a minute ago as sooner or later, he would know.

'Hermione? What are you doing in Harry's room? Or actually his bathroom?' Ron asked, his voice always holding that part of suspicion when it came to Harry and Hermione, only this time he would be proven right. Hermione didn't miss Lily's small eye-roll at the tone of the ginger young man.

Hermione was ready to speak but at that moment Harry moved out of the bathroom as well and almost stumbled upon Hermione who hadn't moved more than a foot from the door. Ron's eyes narrowed.

'Hey, Ron,' Harry said awkwardly and glanced at Hermione who nodded her head, the sooner the better.

'Hey, guys,' Ron said as he watched the two friends moving close to him and seating in opposite directions.

'Ron, we need to tell you something.' Hermione started and Ron looked at them with suspicion in their eyes.

'I'm listening,' Ron said and waited as he noticed the two looking at a direction of the room, he looked at the spot as well.

'He can't see us,' Lily informed the youngest couple who only nodded as Ron was still looking at the spot the Potters were standing.

'OK, Ron, look,' Harry started and the ginger young man looked back at his friends.

'Come on, guys, you're scaring me, I just came here to tell Harry that we're leaving in an hour for the fiesta in England.' Ron said and Hermione decided to tell the truth and be done with it.

'Ron, last night, Harry and I got drunk, went to Vegas and got married, the thing is the marriage is legal for the British Ministry and now we must stay married for the next seventy six days or so.' Hermione said as coldly as she could to hide the emotions that still ran in her heart about the whole deal.

Ron was left speechless to look at them for some endless moments before he could burst in laughter.

'Oh guys, I almost bought it, and my head is killing me so stop it,' Ron said between snorts and sniffs of laughter as he held his head, he paused his reaction when he saw the solemn faces of his friends, his eyes fell on the rings they still had failed to remove from their fingers, or forgot to… 'You're bloody serious?' he asked after a moment more and this time Harry nodded as Ron looked first at him and then at Hermione who sighed and nodded. 'And when you say you got married... while drunk…. You… you two did…?' he asked and the solemn faces of truth before him had him off his seat and in a fit within moments.

'Ron, before you start-'

'Before I start?' Ron screamed at Harry as he had done in the past, Hermione glanced actually nervous at Harry's parents as the two friends were to fight for her. 'You know I'm trying here…' Ron said and everyone in the room –alive or not- got the meaning of his words about his try to have Hermione back. 'As for you… I suppose you got what you wanted since you always choose him!' Ron screamed this time at Hermione and Harry would swear he saw both the ghosts of his parents making each a step forward as to protect Hermione, or stop Ron, either way the atmosphere was thick and electrified.

'Ron, listen… Hermione and I…' Harry tried to negotiate with his best friend although he knew he wouldn't make it, Ron was always sensitive about everything Harry-Hermione related and revealing to him that they accidently got married and had sex was a stab deep in the wound he always kept open for his own reasons and purposes.

'I have nothing to listen to, you were supposed to be my friend, we've been through this, you told me things I thought were true from your lying mouth!' Ron shouted at Harry who tried very hard to keep his own temper in check. He had said things in the past, when he was younger, naïve, hunted in a game of death and destruction, in the middle of nowhere and desperate for his teen friend back. Now he didn't have it in him to reveal to both Ron and Hermione that those said words back then came in complete contrast with how he felt about his female best friend and as it happened, first wife. He glanced at Hermione for help, as always and the look she gave Ron almost frightened him.

Hermione was ready to make the step back, to try again and again to make Ron believe that it was a mistake, that it meant nothing, that it was a huge mess and that she didn't mean it. But as she felt Harry's eyes on her and the presence of his parents close by, combined with the furious face of Ron that she had seen way too many times over the past years, she decided to have a different approach on the matter.

'I am not an object, certainly not  _your_  object, it's been years, you should have accepted a few things over the course of them, Ronald…. What I do with Harry or whoever else is actually my business and you like it or not. I have no obligation to change my mind, wait for you or actually make myself believe that the two of us have some future as a couple. You deserve the truth and this is it, we're friends and we'll always be if you wish for it, but nothing more.' There, she had said the truth she was dying to scream at his face. She had made it in calm tones, no hysterics and no holding back. She was in turmoil about what she did with Harry but this was the perfect opportunity to get clear with Ron before she had everyone else to face.

The Potters were looking at her almost in admiration while Harry seemed mesmerized. She didn't want to analyze anything at that moment but she knew, if she had said anything else to Ron than the things she had just uttered, it would be wrong both for him and herself. She needed to short out what she had had done with Harry, had it had meant but for now, she wouldn't be passive, she had to act against every bane at the time.

Ron was left speechless to stare between his friends before he could storm out of the room and slam the door shut. Hermione sighed as she expected nothing more or less from him. Harry was left speechless for a moment more.

'That certainly wasn't subtle but I think he got your point at last.' Harry said and Hermione noticed the small elbowing James gave to Lily before she could soundlessly hush him. She looked back at Harry and for a moment the fact of herself looking at her  _husband_ brought the almost familiar by now panic back in her head.

'Everyone is waiting downstairs.' Harry reminded to the room and Hermione looked around her. They had to be done with it and possibly arrange a portkey for themselves after it because she wasn't sure how people would react around them.

'Could you please arrange another portkey for us? Maybe one of the secondary ones arranged for your team? Maybe direct it to Grimmauld or some place safe for us to be until we go to the ministry?' Hermione changed the subject without getting completely off the point. Harry nodded his head and looked at her for a moment. 'I hope I am welcome to Grimmauld.' She added as she hadn't thought that Harry's renovated house might not be where he wanted them or her to be for the time being.

'You renovated the place, made it a home for humans, you're its actual mistress, with the marriage or not…' Harry added with a tiny dose of humor and Hermione smiled and nodded her head, pretending she didn't hear James mumbling something to Lily who hushed him again…


	6. Under the Carpet

Chapter Six – Under the Carpet

"We'll let them know a few minutes before the portkeys are activated and then we'll leave as I asked of my coach for Grimmauld.' Harry muttered as he moved down the corridor with Hermione by his side and the Potters' ghosts behind them as guardians who are watching the alive couple's steps.

He had just returned from his little chat with Oliver Wood his coach in the national team requesting the portkey that would lead to number twelve of Grimmauld. Thankfully, Wood was way too happy with the world cup and proud to be the savor's co-player and old co-student that he didn't mind Harry's "miscalculation", as Wood had called the accidental marriage Harry had told him about. Harry only wished things would be that easy with the rest of the world.

The accidentally married couple of friends was soon entering the buzzing from noise room where everyone was having their breakfast before the portkeys could be given to the groups. Ron was nowhere to be seen during meal time and that said something. Harry and Hermione spotted the table where their seats would be waiting, among the Weasleys.

People welcomed them with cheerful words, some pats on the back and handshakes as the euphoria of the Cup's victory lingered on. Both harry and Hermione could feel the creepiness of the people's eyes both for the secret they held for a while longer and the two very dead War Heroes they had trailing behind them unseen by anyone else.

Molly Weasley welcomed them first with kisses on the cheeks and beckoning for them to sit down and have breakfast.

'My dear ones, we sent Ron for you but he never returned, we guess he slept somewhere in some corner after his headache.' Molly said, showing her disproval of her son's habits. Hermione however didn't miss Lily's stare at Molly while talking and greeting the young people, she decided however to let it go for now.

Hermione herself started staring however at Ginny the moment the ginger girl started smiling at Harry with that ridiculous brown eyes at him as if he was a demigod or something. Married to her best friend or not, she was tired of Ginny acting like that around him, she had talked to the youngest Weasley in the past about her relationship and feelings for Harry but after a point, Ginny would only get jealous and start accusing Hermione of the same things Ron accused her of. She watched Ginny staring at Harry, his surroundings as if she was waiting for the moment to go near him, talk to him or touch him yet she remained back, staring with a disturbing intensity. Only now, Hermione realized the girl would have a reason for accusations as she and Harry were about to announce their marriage… She gulped down the knot in her throat and decided to stop staring for now…

'We found Ron and you'll probably see him again in England.' Harry said and the Weasleys looked at him in wonder.

'He's that sleepy?' George asked with a small smile, even after all those years from the war, he still looked odd at his own with Fred taken from the battle of Hogwarts.

'Well, lets be clear here since it'll be all crazy about it anyway.' Harry muttered before he could glance at Hermione and take her acceptance by her little nod. 'Last night Hermione and I got drunk, went to Vegas and got married.' Harry said and left the table of people around him along a couple of tables around theirs in silence.

'According to Wizarding Law we're bound to stay married for a total of seventy seven days and the moment we return to England, which will be the soonest, we'll contact the ministry for the legal issues of the whole deal and the intention of annulling the marriage the day we're allowed to.' Harry added and Hermione had remained silent although she felt the heat of embarrassment on her cheeks. She could also feel the glaring eyes of Molly and Ginny on her exclusively. The thought of needing to talk to her own parents remained inside her head from the moment she knew she should let the Wizarding World know.

'I can't believe this…' Ginny whispered first, glaring between Harry and Hermione while Molly was left speechless to do the same.

'Congratulations….' George said with a knowing, mischievous smile that let everyone wondering while Arthur muttered something about such legal issues taking some time but "not being a big deal legally once annulled".

Harry didn't let anyone else add something as he stood up and waited for Hermione to do the same as at that moment the Ministry employees were entering the room to give the portkeys to the groups appointed to return to England.

'I guess the next days will be full for us so for the time being, excuse us if we're not to see you frequently. We'll try our best to visit the Burrow the soonest after the storm has calmed.' Harry added with a voice hard enough not to allow to anyone the smallest interference. Hermione felt grateful as the glares of Molly and Ginny on her were less than obvious and at that moment she was glad Harry had taken care of the talking to them. The presence of Lily and James close to them also felt good and safe but she was glad to stand up from her seat and move along Harry to the guy who approached them exclusively and gave them a pencil.

'Mr. and Mrs. Potter, the portkey leading to Grimmauld Place number twelve will be activated in three minutes. I am obliged to remind you that your presence in the Minister's office is requested for the appointed day he has set for you.' The young woman with the Asian features and the name Maria on the label informed both, she seemed stoic before the presence of two "famous" people that had just gotten married and Harry would have sweared he remembered the girl as an older Slytherin student in his first years but he couldn't be sure.

'Thank you, have a nice day.' Hermione said as she took the pen and looked at Harry, Lily and James. She didn't dare look at the dumbfounded people on the table they had just left behind them. 'That went well, I suppose.' She finally concluded and Harry gave a small bitter chuckle and a nod.

'It could have gone better, if some people were brave enough to see the obvious,' Lily commented while she kept staring at the Weasleys unseen herself from the world. Hermione fetl as if Lily wasn't that pleased about the staring and glaring that had taken place and as a Gryffindor of her own right, she wasn't too subtle about her feelings.

Harry looked at his mother with a sense of pride for her. He was glad other people also saw what he had been seeing ever since the end of the war. He was glad he shouldn't feel guilty over seeing the truth of his almost foster family.

'Well, we'll have more things than this to think about once back in England.' James said and everyone nodded as the question about who is using the stone was adamant.

Hermione felt her stomach dropping as she saw Ginny standing up and moving towards them while looking at Harry with eyes unread. The Brunette was only glad that the portkey activated itself and she and Harry apparated far away from the almost confrontation.

The portkey trip lasted –as expected- two hours of swirling in colors and places until both Hermione and Harry reached London and Grimmauld in an aftermath of nausea and confusion.

'I hate this part,' Harry grimaced as he stumbled the few steps to number twelve as the portkey deactivated itself in Hermione's hand.

The familiar steps of Grimmauld Place number 12 showed themselves before the young couple of friends and spouses and when the entire house was done revealing itself to them, Harry moved up the stairs of the entrance with Hermione following behind him and opened the door of the house.

The Grimmauld Hermione had helped decorate or actually renovate had nothing to do with the gloomy house the Order of the Phoenix had used back in the war as headquarters. Gryffindor colors mixed with mahogany furniture, rich fabrics and beautiful decorative objects gave a cozy feeling but nothing too classical or overwhelming as Harry was the minimalistic type.

They had to call the ministry department of misused objects to remove Mrs. Black furious portrait, have the name Potter thrown here and there for some special privilege to have the license for internal illumination of the house through the walls so the house could always give an impression of lightness and happiness. Something desperately needed as many times the hours of the night were full of nightmare and the sleepless hours that followed had to be spent in light as to keep the sanity of it all. The house was renovated by Hermione in the way that would help a war hero that was also the victim to get over the horrors of the war.

'Padfoot told us to let you know that he really likes the way the house looks now.' James said casually behind them and for the couple of friends brought themselves back from the relief they had felt the moment they entered the house they both considered theirs, their shelter. James' words made both sigh and smile at the same time. Of course Sirius would like the house, he liked Hermione so much, trusted her with his escape from Hogwarts.

'We better let you two get some rest,' Lily said, looking pointedly at her husband who smiled sheepishly again and nodded before he could vanish for the night. Lily smiled at the exhausted by the trip and the hour change, people before her. 'Take it easy, guys,' she only said as she too, vanished from their sight for the rest of the night.

'Since it's afternoon, we could have some dinner and wait for the time difference to get on us. Tomorrow I'll have to show up for the fiesta in the afternoon but first, we'll go to the ministry.' Harry said and Hermione simply nodded, she was drained, and the return to England it all made the errors of the past day more real, the ministry, the public, Harry's team, her parents, the rest of their circles of friends and colleagues. She wondered what kind of chaos would break before her bookstore from reporters and prying eyes when she'll have to reopen on Wednesday. She sighed and started moving for the kitchen of Grimmauld when Harry took her hand and she stopped to look at him.

'It'll be alright,' Harry suggested and took both her hands in his. He hated seeing her like this, it unnerved him to know she's so sad and troubled because of what they did, something he so much enjoyed at the time of doing it, both the marriage and what followed.

'It's just a big mess and we need to figure it all out.' Hermione whispered and Harry sighed and nodded as he pulled her slightly closer to him.

'I know…' he whispered this time and let her hand to cup her cheek. 'We've been through worse… we'll pull through, by the time we'll have to officially split up, the people will have forgotten about us.' He tried to show her it was no big deal, it was all about the legal issues, she asked him not to touch what it all meant for the both of them and he'd respect her wish for now, they indeed had a lot in their heads, and a threat that brought back his parents to consider but for now, he could comfort her in the only way he knew how as a man: the wrong one.

It was all a deal, she had to see it like this, like he saw it, because she asked him to see it like this herself, still it hurt to know he just wanted to be done with it, with them. What was wrong with her? What did she want? What did she want from him? Wasn't he –like always- trying to follow her lead? Wasn't it what she wanted? Did she expect some love confession of undying faith and care? Didn't she had those things already? A war proved it. And from the other hand, she had to let everyone know because they would learn anyway. She had to tell her parents, her friends, solve the issue with the Potters' ghosts, protect her property and Harry's, keep her shop running and somehow spend the rest seventy six days in peace with what she had done.

'A big mess, indeed. I think I'll skip dinner and go to bed, two hours of the portkey travel exhausted me.' She finally concluded and moved away from Harry, leaving his hands to fall to his sides in defeat.

'Goodnight, Hermione,' he could only say as he watched her moving up the stairs to the room she had chosen from the time they had decided to fix the house.

'Night, Harry,' she only answered and he could hear in her tone all the exhaustion, sadness and worry reflected in his own heart…

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok our babies are jumping around and not in the point, i think it's in their nature to hide everything under the carpet, what you think guys? we're close to see the encounter of them against everyone in the wizarding world
> 
> thank you for reading, please comment


	7. Home Bloody Home

_Chapter Seven – Home Bloody Home_

A big Mess

A huge Mess

That was the best description Hermione could give to her situation with Harry and everything that included them as she got dressed in the bedroom she occupied in Grimmauld Place. A place so different from the one she had lived in during the war.

Mostly because of her, the mansion now was a beautifully decorated place with Victorian touches and some modern parts to remind the rhythms the Muggles live in, since both Harry and herself had grown up in the Muggle World. The house had a beautiful feeling although the old furniture had remained because of their good quality, the ugly heads of dead house elves, Mrs. Black's portrait and the dark curtains were gone and after the best cleaning team of the ministry had been hired by the authorities to help renovating the house of the Savor, Grimmauld looked perfect.

She had done it all for Harry, her best friend, she never imagined she would share this house as his wife, even if for only seventy six more days. She glanced at herself in the mirror she had painted herself and sighed at her reflection. She insisted on dressing like a muggle in her bookstore but this was an official call from the ministry so she had decided to wear her robes, simple dark blue color and a necklace were enough, she never liked dressing up with hats and too many layers of fabric like Minerva McGonagall. It'd be enough noise with everyone knowing by now about her marriage to the Man Who Conquered thanks to the Prophet, she'd spare herself from having her name in the "best or worst dressed column" at the last pages of the news paper as well.

She opened the door of her bedroom and moved down the stairs in the illuminated hall, the light coming by the unusually bright sun through the windows. She could hear commission in the kitchen and she entered the room to find Harry talking animatedly with James while Lily watched the wary Kreatcher making breakfast. It still felt weird to have the Potters around, it also brought back the very important matter of who is using the stone to have Harry's dead parents by his side.

No matter who was doing it for whatever reasons, Hermione couldn't stop herself from thanking them just a bit, as she watched Harry laughing with something James had said, she always wished Harry would have a chance to spend time with his parents and now he was having it, Hermione had to admit that even though the Stone endangered a lot of things for a person, right now Harry was happy and she would love to meet the Potters more as well.

'Good morning, dear,' Lily's gentle voice broke her train of thought and Hermione smiled, Lily had this quality of calming everyone down even with a greeting, making your feel it'd be alright after all. Harry and James looked at her with smiles, Hermione almost blushed for interrupting the family moment.

'Good morning, Mrs. Potter,' James said wickedly as if he had read her mind and was making her feel comfortable with a joke, it worked as Harry rolled his eyes good naturally at his dad and Lily chuckled while Hermione smiled and finally reached them at the table.

Hermione sat down next to Lily who smiled at her and Kreacher approached with a bowl full of cereal and milk.

'Thank you, Kreacher,' Hermione offered kindly to the elf that only nodded and moved away, looking warily at the ghosts of the Potters, some things hadn't changed in Grimmauld but at least Kreacher had stopped insulting everyone.

'How did you sleep, dear?' Lily asked and Hermione smiled and nodded before she could take a bite.

'I slept well, thank you,' Hermione said and took her bite as she looked at Lily's smiling semi-transparent face, she felt like she had known the woman and her presence for a long time, maybe she did indeed, as Lily and James had been always around to watch over them.

'We should eat and go to the Ministry, Kingsley sent an owl this morning, he has gathered all the paperwork for both cases in his office and it'll be a private hearing just us and him, I guess it helps that it's about the Potter name and we have the Cup, lets hope they will all be gossipy and not mental with the marriage, after we're done with both cases, we should talk to him about the Stone.' Harry said and Hermione nodded and kept eating, she didn't have to add anything. After the hearing with Kingsley she'd go straight to her bookstore and she had to face the community face to face there.

'If you wish, I can come to the bookstore with you after we're done. I'm sure Wood is still drunk somewhere with a harem so he won't need anytime soon and the fiesta is planned for tomorrow night.' Harry added as if he could read her mind. She sighed, not sure if having Harry with her in the middle of Diagon Alley would be a good idea, on the other hand, she couldn't imagine all those customers and curious people facing her on her own.

'Yeah, maybe you should come with me, after all I need to clean the upper sleeves and you were always better with heights than me.' Hermione added with an attempt for humor that worked as the three Potters around her chuckled.

'I never liked the heights either, I always had James to do the shelves.' Lily said and turned at the sound of a loud purring that entered the kitchen as Crookshanks had been left at Grimmauld before the cup for Kreacher to feed him and keep him company even though both creatures didn't like each other very much. Lily's eyes widened and her ghost stood up and looked at the cat, possibly appearing herself to him as he noticed her presence and rushed close to her immaterial form.

'Spooky! At last! James, look at him, he's in great shape!' Lily exclaimed happily as she stood close to the cat that watched her with knowing eyes and even tried to lick her hand. Both Harry and Hermione had been left speechless to watch the scene.

'His name is Crookshanks…' Hermione tried as the cat at last left Lily and moved close to the brunette. Lily smiled and nodded her head.

'When we had him, we had called him spooky because he scared Harry sometimes as a toddler, he couldn't expect Harry to scare him back when he learnt to walk at eleven months…' Lily explained and Harry spoke still in shock.

'With a broom for babies?' he asked and Hermione looked at him, a flash of memory that included one of Lily's letters to Sirius in that very same house right before the Horcrux Hunt. She couldn't believe Crookshanks was the same cat, however that explained how Crookshanks always preferred Harry right after Hermione herself, he knew him since he was a baby.

'Wow… ok, that explains a lot,' Hermione said and Lily smiled knowingly.

'Kneazles have many powers, even if he's half-half, he is very clever, when Voldemort was after us, I had tried to make him understand that he should protect Harry. I suppose he was lost after the day Voldemort found us but he never stopped trying. He found you first and in this way he kept an eye on Harry, that's why he also recognized Sirius, I guess Padfoot never told you about him but the two of them knew each other, it was actually Sirius who brought him to us in the first place.' Lily said and Hermione and Harry watched her in greater shock. 'You really think we'd left you just like that even if the Marauders were all gone? We had only hoped Harry wouldn't end up with my sister but that was out of our power after a point…' Lily said and the guilt in her voice was evident. 'That's one of the things I can't forgive Albus for…' she added in a whisper and Harry felt like hugging his mother. James had been silent but reached his wife in their airy forms and took her hand, effectively touching her in their shape. Harry sighed, they had many wounds to heal in their possibly limited time as reunited family but for now that had to deal with everything else.

'I think we should be going to the ministry for now and then talk about Spooky or Crookshanks' true talents, I always thought he looked at me judgingly like Hermione would do when I didn't something wrong but I suppose he had taken from the both of you.' Harry said, attempting humor as he addressed both his mother and wife slash best friend slash the woman he needed slash many things more…

'He's right, Kingley will be waiting.' Hermione said after a moment and nodded her head as they stood up and Crookshanks meowed at her lovingly. 'I'm sure you'll have great company here, I'll be back soon.' She told her cat and felt a wave of possessive love for him, she had him for years, no matter why  _he_ had chosen her, she had chosen him as well and loved her cat dearly.

The couples moved close to the kitchen's massive fireplace while Crookshanks watched and Hermione threw the floo powder in the fire that turned emerald green. Harry and Hermione held hands while James and Lily watched them.

'We'll be right beside you and we'll show ourselves when we'll be alone with Kingsley. Good luck.' James said and Hermione and Harry nodded as Harry was already throwing the powder in the flames and they called clearly their destination.

'Ministry of Magic Atrium!'

They reappeared in a burst of flames that followed more bursts of flashes and an onslaught of reporters calling to each other "they're here" "a comment about the marriage" and many more questions and statements while simple civilians were also watching and gathering with the Morning Prophet in their hands. Harry and Hermione shielded their eyes from the flashes of the photographers and started moving through the crowd to reach the elevators with the ghosts of the Potters by their side staying silent and glaring daggers at the reporters who followed like vultures and blocked their way.

'Maybe we should just appear to them and have a true spectacle to gossip about.' James said exasperated as the elevator door at last closed behind them, they were alone in the elevator as no other employee or citizen had made it to reach the elevator because of the crowd around the four Potters.

'Maybe we should have asked Kingsley to floo right in his office.' Hermione offered more logically and sighed as she wondered what would be happening outside her bookstore.

They were soon in the floor of the minister's office and the couples moved outside the elevator suffering more stares and looks of employees around them who whispered, nudged each other and even snickered as the one visible couple moved towards the minister's office. Hermione and Harry didn't pay attention, they were used to people talking behind their back, for the years before, it was without reason mostly, now they had verified everyone's suspicion about the two of them but what mattered was the meeting with Kingsley and nothing else… absolutely nothing else.

They reached the secretary of the minister who only nodded her good morning and gestured for them to enter the minister's office. They did so and found Kingsley's massive form crouched above a stack of papers. The man with the dark skin and radiant smile looked up at them and clapped his hands with an amused look on his face that reminded them very much of a late friend of his who happened to be the head of the Order of the Phoenix…

'The new generation of the Potters, how good is to see you, guys!' Kingsley said and Harry and Hermione for the first time in two days felt like this wasn't the end of the world, their friends had been judging, the whole world was looking at them like the new zoo number but one of their oldest friend and guardian during the war was all smiles and grins at their petrified expressions.

'Hello Kingsley,' Hermione said first and the man smiled and gestured for them to sit before his desk as he sat back down on his chair and looked at both of them.

'I would start with the things you caused by the misused magic but since you're war heroes and I'm the minister I just need you signatures on a dozen of paper about how much you regret your decision to do so, a simple statement to the public and a sincere apology to the council and we're good. All I want to know about is the Elvis Wedding, what songs did he play?' Kingsley asked happily and actually made Harry and Hermione chuckle.

'About the wedding, we want to cancel it.' Harry said with a smile and Hermione nodded but Kingsley looked at them in shock, suddenly sobering.

'You didn't want to get married?' he asked and the two felt like falling back to the pool of awkwardness they've been swimming in the past days…

'We did by accident, we were drunk and now we want to have the seventy seven days pass and then cancel it.' Hermione said while blushing and Kingsley frowned and let his body touch on the back of the chair, looking at them and pondering.

'I had thought that even drunk you two…' he tried but then shook his head quickly as if he had remembered something and then nodded. 'Never mind, whatever you think is better for you, after all sometimes we must choose ourselves between what is right… over what is easy… alas, it's good you have about seventy five days to decide, no matter what I'll have your cancelation of the marriage ready for you to sign in seventy four days and you'll be good as single again.' Kingsley said and left the two young people looking at him almost with shame in their eyes over their decision to cancel their marriage while Lily and James looked knowingly at each other.

'Can I help you with anything else?' Kingsley asked warmly as to fill the awkward silence that followed his words. Harry snapped out of it first and spoke, this time in an almost pained tone in his voice.

'Someone is using the Resurrection Stone again. I had given my statements but what I did with the Hallows before the ministry after the war and I guessed the area I had thrown the stone would have been searched but someone has obviously taken it.' Harry said and Kingsley this time looked at them with shock.

'Who have they summoned?' he asked and Harry looked at the spot the Potters were standing, deciding it was time, both James and Lily appeared themselves to the ministry who looked at them with wide eyes.

'Good Lord, James, Lily, it's been so long!' he whispered in shock and the couple nodded their heads.

'As you understand, we need the minister's help with this as we have nothing to do with the aurors or the Order anymore and we only know it must be someone who knows Harry's sensitivity with his family but that's about everyone who knows the Boy Who Lived and his story…' Hermione said and Kingsley nodded his head with his eyes still glued on the couple of ghosts before him.

'Of course, I will have everyone helping with this. The ministry had searched about the stone and indeed hadn't found it in an entire forest, we had hoped it was lost forever, but this is clear evidence. Keep a low profile, as much as this is possible and I'll do my best with every department and office of the ministry to have this solved.' Kingsley said and both Harry and Hermione could see why the man before them had been twice re-elected as Minister after the war in the voting for the position of the most important man in the Wizarding Community, he gave an air of authority and confidence only Dumbledore had been able to inspire in the past.

'Thank you, Kingsley,' Harry said honestly and the man before him smiled at him like a father would do for his son.

'Just sign up these parchments and you're good to go back to your business from the fireplace here, don't give those predators the satisfaction of a second spectacle, as for you, Jamie and Lil, keep quiet and around only these two young beautiful people and I'll find a way.' Kingsley said over Harry and Hermione's shoulders who were already signing up the papers of all the legal issues they had created with their marriage and drunken night. 'Give my regards to Albus and Sirius.' He added and James winked as Lily smiled at the older man. 'And something more,' Kingsley said now addressing Harry and Hermione, 'since all this was accidental,' he said and with his wand conjured a roll of parchment. 'All the things the official letter from the ministry is not telling you about a magical marriage in the first seventy seven days of it. You better read it.' Kingsley added and Hermione took the parchment in her hands.

'Thank you…' she said and put the parchment in her robes' pocket. 'For everything,' Harry added as the two young people shook hands with the older man who smiled and gestured for them to reach the floo.

'Contact me with whatever you need and I'll do the same the moment I have news over the case, I'll have the best team of aurors in this.' he reassured them and Harry and Hermione nodded their heads as they turned the fireplace in to a floo station with the powder and then said their goodbye and flood themselves away and into Hermione's bookstore.

The curtains were blocking the light everyone looking from outside but the buzzing of people gossiping outside the shop were evident, it seemed like too many people were in the mood for a new book that day…

'It'll be alright,' Harry reassured her as he hadn't left her hand from his grasp. He actually raised their joined hands close to his lips and kissed her knuckles while the sound from outside and the smell of books and parchment filled their senses. Hermione looked at the man before him, her best friend, her husband, Kingsley's words and face of shock were now a memory but a striking one. She finally smiled and nodded her head.

'Come on, show me those shelves you want me to clean. Lets keep the bookstore closed for today but stay here and have it cleaned, none can get in without our permission and none will disturb us. In the afternoon we can go to your parents.' He offered and Hermione nodded and sighed at the thought of Jane and Edward Granger encountering their daughter's newest adventures…

'Alright, first things first then, the shelf up there with the history books.' She said and smiled at Harry who nodded and winked at her as he reached for the ladder.


	8. Understanding People

_Chapter Eight - Understanding People_

Hermione collapsed on the chair before her desk, it had been hours ever since they started cleaning, the simple task of cleaning had turned to a mania of tidying around for the both of them as it worked as an anti-stress therapy. Hermione sighed and looked above her head. A single ray of light from the setting sun outside was escaping through the curtains of the upper windows, revealing all the dancing dust particles in the air that kept swirling around the place no matter how much Hermione tried to eliminate them with spells and dusters. She felt mesmerized by the odd dust dance, hearing Harry's distant sounds of cleaning with spells somewhere on the second floor in the department of hobbies and free time with magic.

The loud sound of the floo network being activated broke her stupor and she stood up immediately to see the visitor, just in time to be attacked by the hug of her friend, dirty blond colored hair blocking her vision and some odd earring hitting her cheek.

'Luna!' Hermione exclaimed as she breathed out, Luna Lovegood laughed and hugged Hermione tighter before she could make a step back and look at her brunette friend with her large, dreamy eyes.

'Hermione! Congratulations! I knew I'd find you here and of course I'll be the first reporter to have the story of the year in the Quibbler and nowhere else!' Luna exclaimed happily before she could grasp Hermione in another hug that oddly reminded of Molly Weasley's.

'Sorry Luna, but no comments.' Harry's voice was heard as he moved down the stairs of the store and Luna rushed and hugged her friend with the same joy.

'Of course, I know, guys, I know, not even a tiny comment, and of course none knows I'm here. But I knew you'd be here!' Luna said happily, her good natured self not making the couple of friends worried about what she might write in her magazine.

'So, when's the honeymoon? Odd of you to come back to England after your wedding, kind of impolite not to invite a single soul but I understand it was a spontaneous move… Otherwise you'd have never done it…' Luna started asking and concluded on her own. Hermione tried to keep calm before the complete acceptance of yet another person of their marriage and spoke before Harry could even say a word. She should practice after all as they'd be visiting her parents very soon for dinner.

'Well, Luna, there is no honeymoon; we actually got married by accident and we'll wait until we can cancel the entire thing in seventy four days. As for the whole mess we created, Kingsley took care of it quite swiftly, so we only have to wait, with the school starting in a few days I'll pull through because of the costumers who will flood the shop and slowly the whole deal will blow off.' Hermione said her well rehearsed little speech she had created while cleaning the potion department of the store. Luna was left speechless for a moment, looking between the two younger Potters until she shrugged and spoke.

'Wow, some things never change. Such a waste of titles about bravery and brightness, maybe in a few years I should add the whole thing in my autobiography, your chapter will be called "the dim ones"…' Luna said mostly to herself than the two friends who blushed and looked away in awkwardness and embarrassment.

'What about the fiesta tonight? You can't have the English team partying without its seeker.' Luna said and both Harry and Hermione nodded their heads.

'We know and we'll be there for the after party, we first must visit Hermione's parents for dinner and then we'll be there as not to have Oliver Wood beyond himself with grief over the absence of the seeker in his team's triumph.' Harry said this time and Luna nodded as she searched in her purse for something, she took out a small jagged piece of metal.

'It's for good luck, take it with you for the dinner and the fiesta, I must go because people will suspect I'm with you. You can't imagine how many reporters from across the world have begged for my input on your marriage through a comment or an entire interview. Of course I declined everything, those people never cared about my essay on the nargles even if the ministry accepted it as an official statement on a new species…' Luna monologue again and hugged Hermione first before she could go to Harry. She reached the fireplace before the two people could thank her for her discretion, she turned around and spoke again.

'And by the way, before I come here, I passed by Grimmauld, I don't know what's going on but the house felt haunted. I think there are two ghosts, one felt friendly, the other mischievous, it even threw an umbrella on the floor to scare me but I just declared I'm not new at this. Maybe you should do something about it.' Luna said casually and both Harry and Hermione looked at her with wide eyes as she waved and flood herself away.

'I'll never understand that girl,' Hermione said shocked as Harry moved closer to her and patted her shoulder.

'Maybe you just need to believe in her…' Harry said and Hermione looked at him.

'I do, she's my friend,' she said calmly as before years, she felt uncomfortable before the dreamy eyes Ravenclaw, now she considered her family.

'We should go to your parents, I'm sure they'll be happy to see us.' Harry decided to get to the pressing matter.

'Unless the  _Prophet_  reached them first.' Hermione said and sighed. They had cleaned the entire store but now it was time for them to get to her old house and face her parents. She had told them before her trip to the States that she'd visit after the match no matter the result of it but she hadn't considered back then that she'd visit them as  _nee Granger_ in her titles…

'I know, but we'll explain, your parents are understanding, they proved it when you brought them back from Australia…' Harry tried and Hermione sighed, wondering how many strikes they'd take until the exploded and cast her away.

'I know, you're right, I shouldn't be losing faith in them, after all they can't just send me to my room for a year as punishment, which may I add, I would fully accept to do so with all those nosy people out there wanting a piece of us.' Hermione said and Harry actually chuckled as he hugged her from the side and kissed her cheek.

'Come on, after that, we have the fiesta and those same people actually getting the piece.' Harry said and Hermione groaned as he took her close to the fireplace. Before they could leave, Hermione rushed back to the table and took the little jagged thing Luna had left for good luck, no matter how silly it seemed, she needed luck. She held Harry's hand allowed him to floo them away to one of the very few muggle houses connected with the Wizarding world.

'Mum, Dad, I'm home!' Hermione called out the moment she and Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and into the living room of her old house in Camden, a beautiful semi-dethatched house the Grangers had bought before they had Hermione.

'My little Pumpkin!' an elated Jane Granger said as she showed up from the door connecting the living room with the kitchen, an apron around her waist being used as a towel before the matriarch Granger could hug her child happily. The two Granger ladies shared most of their features, only Jane's hair had started to show grey strands here and there and maybe from years in medical books, she wore glasses, still she looked beautiful.

'And my sweet Harry, welcome, my dearest.' Jane said as she left her daughter to hug the young man. 'Edward! The children are here! Bring the best wine we have!' Jane called as she moved a few steps away from Harry to the door of the living room to alert her husband who possibly was at his study.

' _My Minnie is here? I'll be there in a minute with the wine!'_ Edward's voice was heard and Hermione felt much better before the warm welcoming of her parents. Harry too was always happy to visit the Grangers with their genuine hospitality and enthusiasm.

'I missed you even though I can't get you to call me with the name  _you_ gave me…' Hermione said as she realized her cheeks were burning. Harry chuckled as her mother brushed her off.

'Oh come on, Pumpkin, you know we only did it because of your grandmother, you'll always be our Minnie Pumpkin,' Jane said and Hermione rolled her eyes. 'After all, Harry here is family,' Jane added the moment the older Potters showed up in the living room, visible only to the two younger Potters, unnoticed by the oblivious Jane.

'You can't imagine how close family,' James commented and sniggered before Lily could elbow him.

'And there's none else around but Harry, so your father and I can call you with our favorite nicknames for you,' Jane added without having heard anything and James sniggered harder as Lily glared at him and looked apologetically at Hermione who only rolled her eyes and shook her head as Harry tried to suppress his owns chuckles.

'Here is my beautiful pumpkin!' Edward Granger finally showed up from his study holding a bottle of wine that Jane took so he could hug his only child. Hermione hugged her father back, noticing the smiles of the Potters who could see how much loved she is from her own parents.

'You look more beautiful every day, pumpkin.' Edward said and Hermione blushed and chuckled. 'How are you, son?' Edward addressed Harry who nodded and smiled.

'Very well, sir, thank you.' Harry replied and Edward smiled as he looked between the two younger people. 'So how the Cup went?' Edward asked and Harry smiled again and nodded more enthusiastically.

'We're champions,' he said proudly and Edward clapped and laughed.

'Then we must drink all the wine!' Edward exclaimed as he led both Harry and Hermione to the dining room with his arms around their shoulders. Jane was before them, talking about the food.

'Thank Lord, I made more pasta and we have enough of everything for a proper little feast that we must have here. Harry, I hope you like my sauce with basil and tomato.' Jane said, slightly blushing as it was evident she had put effort in cooking, just like her daughter.

'I'm sure I'll love it, Mrs. Granger.' Harry said honestly and the older Granger smiled and blushed at the same time.

'Oh such a charming young man, and please call me Jane. Hermione dear, will you help me set up the table? Let the boys talk over some first sips of wine here.' Jane said and Hermione nodded and left Harry behind who smiled awkwardly while James and Lily moved inside the dining room as well.

Jane moved close to the oven where she started stirring the sauce while Hermione, like back in the past, started slicing the bread. There was a pregnant silence for a few moments that Jane interrupted.

'So how are things between you and Ron?' the question felt tensed, surprising Hermione who always expected Jane not to like people like Ron, especially with the history she had with the ginger young man, but the older Weasley had tried to like him for her daughter's shake, one of the adjustments she had put effort on making for her only child.

'Well, he's trying but after some recent events I don't think he'll try again for at least some months to follow…' Hermione replied as honest as she could and to her bigger surprise, saw Jane exhaling in relief.

'Then, how are things in your life? How's Harry?' Jane asked, trying poorly to ask for both individually. Jane, like Hermione, had expected Harry to be the prefect along her daughter in fifth year, expressing her genuine surprise in one of her letters, answering her daughter about the news of that year of Ron being the one in position. Jane had met the Weasleys, especially because of Mr. Weasley's love for Muggles but as the years passed by, she had only learnt how Ron mistreated her daughter and how good, brave, kind and unfortunate Harry were so she had grown to like the man she knew the least than the actual ex-boyfriend of her daughter.

'We're good, he won the cup, not just his team, he made it, it was really nice. Harry's doing good, he finally has everything he needs. And I'm fine, the shop will skyrocket now with the new term starting in two weeks, not that it needed the term, everything is good.' Hermione said, trying to show her mother everything is fine by projecting the career news of both to Jane who smiled and nodded as she started serving the food in large plates for everyone to take from in the dinner table.

'And what about you and Harry in… other ways?' Jane asked boldly, always striking like a very certain dreamy-eyed Ravenclaw, Hermione knew. She was ready to roll her eyes and avoid the question but Hermione knew she was there for some shocking news she needed to break to her parents and Jane spoke again.

'I know how you feel about him and I can see he likes you too, now can you stop letting the years pass you by and finally make a move? You're Gryffindors, you're supposed to be brave.' Jane said in quick whispers and Hermione looked deep into her mother's eyes for a moment as she expected something from her and Hermione could only give the truth.

'We got married in Vegas the day before yesterday,' Hermione said and the expectance in her mother's eyes turned into terror and then quickly into shock that faded into surprise.

'That's way too drastic of a move…' Jane commented after a moment as her daughter moved carefully close to her as if Jane could implode all of a sudden.

'I know, it's drastic, we got drunk and got married by accident, it's a magical marriage that we can cancel in seventy four days, which we will of course but please don't freak out, mum. I know both you and dad like rules, they are there to be followed but I made a mistake, the first in years actually, so please don't freak out.' Hermione tried to explain quickly as she actually grasped her mother's forearms to keep her in her spot from maybe running to the rooftops and killing herself before her daughter's wrongdoings. Jane remained silent for a moment looking at her before she could sigh and speak.

'I like the rules but you dear have stuck with them way too much,' Jane first concluded and then kept up. 'We need a valium for your father, or some calming spell, you have my permeation to cast a spell on him. As for your drunken marriage, did you… err… complete the marriage?' Jane asked and Hermione blushed furiously as she avoided her mother's eyes quickly. 'I see, then did you protect yourself?' Jane asked and Hermione snapped her eyes back at her mother, this time in terror.

She had stopped any kind of contraceptive charm or muggle pill since she hadn't been in a relationship in months and had wished not to keep her body under unnatural influences but in her drunken state of getting married to her best friend, she had forgotten to cast the simple anti-pregnancy spell she had been taught from a book in sixth year.

'Oh my God,' Hermione whispered as she realized her circle was on perfect timing with the day she did it with Harry. 'Oh my God! Oh my God!' she called out again and Jane clapped a hand over her panicking daughter.

' _Is everything alright, girls?'_ Edward asked from inside the dining room while Hermione exhaled through her semi blocked nostrils while Jane cleared her throat and called out.

'Everything is fine, sweetie, just told Minnie Pumpkin here about her old room being converted into a library and she's ecstatic!' Jane said and Hermione's eyes widened even more but got cast down the moment her mother glared at her as if she needed nothing more from her to actually get angry.

Jane finally took away her hand and Hermione breathed deep in and then out while her mother waited.

'OK, I'll take a test tomorrow, the easiest way right now is to cast the spell. Now we need to tell dad and then keep him alive.' Hermione said and Jane nodded as she passed her the bowl of sauce. 'Mum, how do you feel about all this?' Hermione asked fearfully and Jane looked back at her girl.

'About the fact of you getting married while drunk… shocked. About the person you got married with, not shocked at all. About your intention to destroy the marriage, quiet appalled but I can't do something more to open your eyes, my sweet pumpkin.' Jane said and Hermione was left shocked to be looking at yet another person admitting how they expected her and Harry not only to get together but get married, even if drunk and out of their minds with Elvis as the priest, even though she hadn't gotten into details with her mother yet.

'I see, you're disappointed?' Hermione asked quietly and Jane smiled and cupped her daughter's cheek with her hand.

'Not even if you made the sun set from the east, Hermione.' Jane answered sincerely and Hermione felt her eyes filling with tears, one of her greatest fears being destroyed.

'I love you, mum,' Hermione confessed and Jane smiled and kissed her girl's cheek above the steaming sauce.

'I love you too, pumpkin, now take the sauce to the table and I'm following with the pasta.' Jane instructed and Hermione nodded.

'A great sauce, I am certain,' she tried one more compliment to coat her mother with who only laughed and followed with the pasta on a bigger bowl.

The two women moved to the table where Jane had previously to the couple's arrival, had set. The two Grangers found Harry and Edward laughing about something and the two men smiled at the two ladies while James was still laughing at the joke the two living men had shared while Lily was looking with sympathy between Hermione and Jane. The older Granger brought two more sets of plates, glasses and silverware from a drawer and Hermione set them up for herself and Harry. Edward started pouring wine in the glasses while Hermione moved back to the kitchen and returned with one more plate of the bread she had sliced.

'Nothing much but I hope you'll enjoy it.' Jane said modestly and Harry smiled.

'We're sure it's perfect, Jane.' Harry tried in good spirits and Jane smiled and thanked him, for a moment looking at the young man with a mixture of interest and skepticism. Hermione kicked her mum's foot from under the table and Jane nodded and started serving everyone as they all sat down.

'She knows,' Hermione only whispered to Harry as she adjusted her chair and Harry looked at her in terror but her eyes told him he shouldn't worry about it. He nodded, sighed and thanked Jane just in time as she served him first.

The meal started between some laughter, talking and enjoying the food that indeed was really good in everyone's opinion to Jane's delight. Harry could feel the worry entering his veins with every passing minute. Hermione's mother knew but now it was time for Edward to learn about what happened in Vegas and the more friendly and kind Edward was now, Harry wondered how fast he was going to change the moment the news were out.

'Just relax, it'll be fine.' Lily told Harry quietly while the two airy forms remained around in the dining room. Harry wasn't sure if he wished for his parents to be there when the news would be out but at least, if Edward got out of his mind with anger, Harry and Hermione would have one pair of parents by their side, that alone was comforting to some extent.

'Oh the meal was amazing, my dear Jane, well done!' Edward said as he drank from his wine and nodded. 'And the wine is perfect; I hope you kids liked it.' He added and smiled at the young people. Hermione spoke first as Harry felt a knot on his throat, the time was approaching.

'Everything was great, dad, as always.' She replied and Edward smiled and patted her shoulder with one hand.

'Always the best for my pumpkin.' He said happily and smiled at Jane who nodded. 'So tell us everything about the cup, how our mighty country won over the Americans?' he asked, he wasn't a fan of Quidditch, he couldn't after all since he couldn't watch it but he was a British man happy with the victory of the country.

'Well it was amazing to win in such a tournament, if we didn't, my team captain who had been also my school captain, he'd have me beheaded… so it's nice to have the cup and my head…' Harry said modestly and Edward gave a booming laugh and nodded.

'I like your motivations, my boy!' he said with laughter before he could look at his daughter. 'And what about you, Pumpkin? You saw the match, we deserved the cup?' he asked and Hermione smiled.

'Oh totally, we played really nicely and we deserved it, and Harry deserved his head so…' Hermione said and Edward laughed again while Jane brought some ice-cream for dessert. They all started eating the chocolate flavored ice-cream until Hermione decided to be done with mother knew, and she had given permeation to Hermione for using magic, none would die.

'Dad, we came here not only to see you and tell you about the cup, but also to inform you about something more since the Prophet will be reaching you tomorrow morning with today's news in the Wizarding world.' Hermione said and Edward looked at her child with interest.

'Some new threat?' he asked seriously and Hermione shook her head.

'No, daddy, nothing like that, we're all safe.' She said and tried to avoid the creeping feeling of fear as she could see the dead Potters with the corner of her eyes, someone was playing with the Resurrection Stone but this wouldn't consider her parents, not now.

'Then what could it be? If we're safe it can't be something too bad.' He said and Hermione wished for someone to help but she knew both Jane and Harry would let her on her own to deal with her father.

'Well, after we won the cup, Harry and I… got drunk, really drunk and apparated ourselves to Vegas, where we got married in a chapel.' Hermione said and for a moment Edward was left speechless until he burst into laughter.

'Really? I always wanted to do such a marriage, with your mother of course, you know, for fun, with an Elvis and all, so for the state of Vegas, you're married? Or you canceled the marriage the day after?' Edward asked between chuckles and Hermione hadn't thought he'd find it funny, until not until he knew it all and maybe not with so much wine in his system.

'Actually,' Hermione said before she could clean her throat. 'For the magical world, no matter where you get married and under what circumstances, you get legally married, but magical law gives us seventy seven days together, then we can cancel the marriage, which we will and it will all be over… so we're married for Vegas, and the Wizarding World….' Hermione said and this time Edward was serious and watching the young people.

'So… you got married… without inviting us?' Edward found the first thing to get angry about and Hermione sighed.

'Dad, we were drunk…' Hermione tried and Edward shook his head.

'This is not a good excuse about getting married, Hermione Jane so don't use it on me. You got married with your best friend while drunk yet aware of the Wizarding laws I'm sure you've studied and fully knowing our values as a family. You ruined your wedding day, the chance to be walked down the isle by your father because you were irresponsible and… and  _drunk_!' Edward shouted and Hermione bowed her head while Jane stood up and moved closer to her husband.

'Edward, it's fine, they will cancel the marriage after those days and she will do it properly when the time will be right, it was a mistake.' Jane tried and Edward this time looked at her even more wounded.

'You knew about this?' he asked and Jane nodded.

'She told me in the kitchen, before.' Jane said as casually as possible while Edward huffed and finally looked at Harry.

'And what about you, young man? I open my house for you, I trust you with keeping my girl safe, like every father is made to do with his daughter's best friend, and after Weasley and his ways with her, I never expected of you to treat her thus! What is your excuse?' Edward asked and Harry spoke uneasily.

'I really want to apologize myself, Mr. Granger, my only excuse is that I were drunk and actually I was the one who apparated us both to Vegas, it was my idea, not your daughter's, but we were both drunk and now we're extremely sorry for the way we make you feel.' Harry said honestly and Edward could only huff even more as Harry was only truthful and sorry about what had happened.

'Edward, the kids just wanted to warn us about the whole deal, nothing major happened, they will cancel the marriage just with a few days of delay due to the laws they're bound with and then it'll be ok.' Jane said and looked at Hermione from next to her husband, making her daughter's stomach drop with the possibility she had made her realize before.

'She's right dad, mum's right, it will be fine, it was a mistake and we'll fix it, we just wanted you to know because tomorrow the newspaper will be here and we wanted you to know from our own lips and not just a piece of paper. You're right to be mad at me and Harry but just try to accept that we were drunk and we're sorry for our actions. We meant for no one to feel bad about our wrongdoings and especially you two who have been so understanding with us and the way our world works.' Hermione spoke sincerely and Edward sighed this time and looked between the people around him.

He was upset, Hermione could see that but she knew her parents, no matter how much they followed the rules and had specific ideas and dreams for their child, they loved and understood her in the good and the bad days.

'I need some time to think about it all. Excuse me.' Edward said and stood up, moving out of the dining room and into the study. Harry and Hermione stood up as he left but Jane kept them back.

'Daaad….' Hermione begged as she saw his disappointed eyes.

'Let him be for awhile, Minnie, a drink, some tears over your old childhood photos and maybe half a valium and tomorrow I'll throw away the Prophet and he'll get over it in a week's time.' Jane said and Hermione sighed and nodded as Harry turned around and patter her shoulder soothingly. 'He'll be fine, he was just getting to accept you're over thirteen and suddenly you're married.' Jane added to lighten the atmosphere and Hermione nodded as she looked at Harry who nodded as well.

'He'll be ok,' Harry tried to reassure her and the brunette sighed.

'We better leave, you need your peace,' Hermione said and Jane smiled and hugged her daughter. 'I'm sorry for all this trouble, mum.' Hermione added and this time her eyes filled with tears again. Jane patted her daughter's back and kissed her cheek.

'I know and don't worry, sweetie, parents are there for the grey days, daddy just needs to get his raincoat.' Jane tried and Hermione smiled tearfully and nodded. 'Harry dear, it was great to see you.' Jane said and Harry smiled and hugged the older Granger.

'It was great seeing you too, Jane, I hope next time will be in better conditions.' Harry said and Jane smiled and nodded as she followed the two in the living room. Harry moved a couple of steps further as Jane took Hermione's hand.

'Check the thing we said and send me a letter, let it arrive in the night when dad will be asleep, just in case things are more… complicated.' Jane said and Hermione didn't dare object, she only nodded and left her mother to reach Harry.

'Take care, dear ones.' Jane said before they could floo away.


	9. Unique Opportunities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the continuation of the story wouldn't happen without the help of the amazing Marla1, my beta, amazing friend and savior from Writer's block.
> 
> The song in the chapter is "Wolves without Teeth" - of Monster and Men. I would suggest to check it on youtube while on that part of the chapter so you can get in the actual mood of the lyrics.
> 
> Enjoy...

 

 

* * *

_Chapter Nine – Unique Opportunities_

_Hermione was screaming in pain again. The sound went though Harry like physical pain. He had to find a way to save her, his mind had been invaded over and over by Voldemort but right now he had to block him out and think straight. He could lose her._

_She screamed once more in pain._

Harry's eyes snapped open and he realized he was fighting for a breath. He groaned and sat up in the semi darkness. Nightmares, of course,would return after stressful days. He rubbed his eyes and almost instinctively reached for his glasses before he could stop himself. He hadn't needed glasses in a long time but habits were hard to kill. He sighed and reached for a bottle of water he had by his bed for the night. He emptied the bottle and took a deep breath.

Now that he was alone, without his best friend slash wife and without his parents, he could accept and admit. All this mess was bound to happen. Usually trouble found him and this time he had screwed up royally.

He knew that after so long suppressing his feelings for Hermione, somehow, they would end up like that. He had been certain for a long time that things would turn out uncontrolled at some point. With a mix of guilt and ignorance, he could only admit to himself that he was happy it was him and not Ron that made all this mess with her.

His skin always crawled at the sight of the two, ever since he was a awkwardness, then annoyance, then an urge to interrupt them like when they shared their first kiss over Ron's stupid and obvious realization of the basilisks fangs doing the job….

He was glad it was he who married Hermione, even by accident. He was glad it was  _him_  and  _her_. He was glad he had slept with her even with all this mess.

In the dead of the night, now that he couldn't see her worried eyes, knowing their parents understood and accepted their bond, more or less. He knew that not showing up at the fiesta that night would give the Prophet the perfect opportunity to drag them in mud for the next seventy-three days of their marriage. In the dead of the night, he could admit, at least to himself, that he had one unique opportunity to fix some things between him and Hermione.

He didn't care about the Prophet, the community or the Weasleys. Things with Ron had changed a very long time ago. He didn't even care about what Oliver Wood would say over all this  _distraction_  from the national team or what his coach in Puddlemere United would do. He got rid of Voldemort when entire orders of wizards couldn't, he won the cup for his country, everyone should just leave him alone for now to deal with his life. He had two dead parents to take care of and send back to their realm of spirits and the most important person in his life and their relationship to save.

'Penny for your thoughts?' Lily's voice made him look up from his blankets, where his gaze had burnt a hole on.

'So many thoughts, mum.' Harry replied and gestured for her to approach him. She did so with her sweet smile and sat on the bed although she didn't have to, Harry knew she was trying to be more approachable even though… dead.

'Can I give you an advice, sweetheart?' Lily asked softly and Harry looked at her beautiful features, unchanged at the age of 21 when she died. He only now realized he looked older than his parents at his own 30.

'Please do, mum.' Harry replied in a small voice. He never had a moment of peace with his mother before.

'My boy,' Lily started, looking at his eyes, the feature everyone linked him to her. 'When I sacrificed my life for you, I never thought that you'd be in so much trouble and pain. All I wanted for you was and always is to have a happy life.' She went on and paused for a moment.

She continued, 'I thought that you'd be able to live with Sirius and have a wonderful life with him. I never imagined Peter would betray us. I never expected Severus to interfere, I had no idea of the damage he had done until I saw Voldemort reaching us in your nursery….' Lily's eyes moved from Harry, she looked across the room. 'All I and your father wanted was to protect you, we died trying and yet we didn't spare you the pain. Petunia would never accept you, that I knew, but what I had decided upon with Albus was for her to have you for a day per summer…. Not for years…. The rest of your days you were to stay with Sirius. I believe Albus could have kept you in the Wizarding World. He could have spared you the pain, he should have trained you for the battle with Voldermort…. Instead, he decided with Severus to leave you in the dark…' Lily looked back at her son. 'I need you to know that I never wanted all this. I watched over for years, helpless to sooth your pain, unable to somehow change a single thing for you.' Lily finally added and Harry sighed. It hurt him to see her like this and he knew his mother was in pain.

'I know, mum….' Harry could only whisper and she nodded.

'I'm saying all this, trying to show you that life can be so very unpredictable… You know that, you have been through so much and you have been so brave. But now with Hermione and your marriage… I can only say that you should give it a try and salvage what you got by accident…' Lily finally advised, and Harry looked at her with wonder.

'You think we shouldn't break up?' He wondered and she nodded.

'I have been watching you both for years, I know she puts you before anyone else, she proved that with her education, Ron, and even her own parents. I know you mean the world to her. She's not only in love with you like you have been with her, you two are each other's other half. I saved you from Voldemort but Hermione saved you from all the rest… It's the perfect chance for you two keep what you got in Vegas…' Lily replied and Harry felt his cheeks getting warm. It was the plain truth and his mother vocalized it so easily. He wasn't used to talking about such things with anyone, Ron would have never understood, Hermione was out of the question as for the past years she was the person of interest. Yet, talking for the first time about it with his mother was less awkward than he could have ever imagined, possibly because he didn't have any other mother-son talks before.

'You really believe she's in love with me too?' Harry asked although he knew his mother's response.

'You're not a Ravenclaw and nor is she, but you both know you're in love. You're just too stubborn to give in to it and the years pass by quickly.' Lily replied and Harry nodded. 'I was like that with your father, you know. It was very hard for me as well.' Lily added and Harry looked at her with a small smile. 'Both he and I had needed an earful from a very angry -and sick at the time- Remus to stop pretending we didn't have feelings for each other.' Lily mused in her own memories and Harry couldn't stop but ask.

'Did you ever like Severus Snape?' Harry couldn't stop himself; he had probably a very limited time with his parents and so many things unclear. Lily shook her head.

'No, Severus was my best friend until he started joining the ranks of Death Eaters. After he insulted me, as you know, I realized that he wasn't just reacting to our distanced friendship. He was joining a group of people that would gladly, and eventually kill me and my kind, Hermione's kind as well.' Harry could detect the anger and bitterness in his mother's voice. Although he had never thought she'd be able to sound like that, and he half regretted bringing it up buthe needed to know more. For the past years, he knew only Snape's version but he was sure there were more sides to the story. This was another unique opportunity to learn about his mother's friendship.

'Your father was a bully until the end of his fifth year… he was so stupid of bullying people, but Harry, I want you to know. James also was the one to change completely for Remus, he was the one standing up to every student the wannabe Death Eaters almost tortured in Hogwarts, under Albus' tolerance for such poisoning of the student body. Your father and I were Head Boy and Girl, we knew of every single case of actual attacks but Albus didn't want to stigmatize certain people, although they were actual Death Eaters by their time of graduation…Dumbledore couldn't accept he was allowing an army to be built in his castle.' Lily explained and Harry nodded.

'I don't blame dad for anything. I know he was a good man.' Harry reassured her and Lily nodded with a smile. 'All I wanted to know was if you loved Snape, because he did love you...' Harry added and Lily shook her head.

'Unfortunately for us all, he had a very twisted way of loving me that cost me my life at the end.' Lily pondered and for a moment Harry could see she was lost in her own betrayals. 'He loved me yet he never left the Death Eaters…. He knew I was in hiding yet, he was a spy and gave the prophesy without a second thought to Voldemort… He cradled my dead body and knew you were an orphan doomed to live with Petunia yet he gave you hell….' Lily's voice was cold, for the first time ghost-like as the rest of her being.

'I forgive him for that.' Harry dared to whisper but Lily shook her head in anger.

'I don't,' she countered mostly to herself. 'He tortured you through Occlumency with Albus' knowledge…. He made you weak before Voldemort's attacks…. He first destroyed your brain, almost opening it completely to Voldemort and when he trapped you with Sirius' fake capture, Severus made you think he wouldn't help. He wanted to save you because of me but he didn't care into how many pieces you'd make it for Albus to deliver you like a pig for slaughter….' Lily was now seething with anger. Harry wished he could touch her hand somehow.

'Mum…' He could only murmur and she looked back at him, her eyes softening. He knew it must have been hell when all of them met in the other side.

'Sirius' death was not your fault. He wants you to know that.' Lily finally concluded and Harry nodded, taking away tears he hadn't realized that were running down his cheeks. All the years of trying to get over some things obviously hadn't healed many wounds inside his soul.

'I love you all very much.' Harry finally whispered and Lily smiled at him.

'We love you too, dear and no matter our own issues, that have been solved one way or the other…. Eternity is a long time you see, we want you to be happy, especially your father, Remus, Sirius and I. We are your family and we want you to be happy. That's why I think you need to rethink your plan of action with Hermione…' Lily returned to the matter at hand and Harry sighed.

'I just know she's too scared to accept things, and when she's scared, she can be very difficult.' He admitted his fear, remembering her pleading eyes in the bathroom of his hotel room in the States. Lily looked at him with a gleam in her eyes.

'Since when my brave boy, full of mischief and persistence, is afraid of his own favorite person in the world?' Lily asked with good natured challenge in her eyes. Harry grinned for the first time. 'Hermione Potter can't be that difficult to kick some sense into her head after all.' She added and Harry chuckled.

'I like the sound of her full name.' he replied and Lily winked at her boy.

'She's one of us now, she needs to see that.' Lily added and at that moment James showed up as well with a smile and sat next to his wife on their son's bed. Harry felt a feeling of completeness washing over him as for the first time ever; it was the three of them, without fear of dying, without terror, without enemies around. They were there probably because of an enemy but still, he almost thanked that enemy for these moments of clarity and family.

'I thought of showing up now that you finished your talk of the past.' James said sheepishly and Harry smiled at his father.

'Dad, I want you to know, I love you and mum and Sirius very much.' Harry felt the need to let his father know as well. James grinned and nodded.

'I know, son, and Sirius knows too and begs you to give it a shot with Hermione, he really likes her.' James said with the same grin.

'What not to like? She's brilliant.' He admitted what he always knew and James nudged Lily.

'I always praised you too,' James winked at his wife who laughed.

'I think it's too late and you could get some sleep,' Lily finally said but Harry shook his head.

'Is Hermione asleep?' he asked his parents and they shook their heads.

'She's actually in the living room, before the fireplace, she hasn't slept, she's listening to music with wine and Spooky.' Lily replied and Harry nodded as he stood up.

'I still can't believe Crookshanks is your cat,' Harry muttered and Lily smiled sadly.

'He was the only one we could reach in the physical realm who understood us. He did his best to be unlikable for years and he purred so hard that day to be noticed by Hermione in Diagon.' Lily replied and Harry smiled, realizing how special that cat really was, just like his current mistress.

'Go talk to her, son.' James encouraged as if he had read his mind.

'Thank you, both of you, for everything,' Harry told his parents as he stood up from his bed and straightened up his pajamas. James and Lily beamed at their son with the messy hair and unshaved beard. He certainly looked older than them by now.

'We love you!' James almost shouted behind him as he rushed for the door and moved down the stairs. Reassured and ready to talk to Hermione about themselves and their relationship, he could do it. His parents were right, he had an opportunity and he couldn't just throw it out of the window. Somehow, he ended up in the position he could only imagine of being married to the only woman who understood and loved him in the world. They both knew they had feelings for the other; they only needed to admit so and for Hermione to dare try with the right best friend this time.

He halted as he reached the threshold of the living room's door. The radio was playing a song but not too loudly. Only the fire in the big fireplace was illuminating the room. First Crookshanks then Hermione looked up at him. Hermione's eyes were gleaming in the firelight. Harry knew she was crying. He approached the sofa and the cat jumped off it to leave them some space. He sat down and for a moment he feared she would move away but she only moved closer to him.

'I have missed you,' he finally said as he wrapped his arm around her and the other held her closer to him, her head beneath his chin. They rested against the back of the sofa in their embrace. No matter how complicated things had gotten, it was the first time in days that they sought out comfort and support.

'I've missed you too, Harry.' Hermione whispered and Harry kissed her head, her chestnut hair had turned curly with age and possibly some spell of hers. They used to sit like this, in peace and quietness. After the war they had been obliged to follow a veterans and survivors program of psychological evaluation from the ministry both for post trauma stress and for the authorities to make sure they were sane enough to keep their wands. After each session they would end up curled up on that same sofa, trying to heal all the things they had to discuss and analyze through therapy. Harry wasn't even sure if all these methods had worked out in his opinion, it had felt like throwing salt into a wound. However he had gone with the flow as he only wanted to finish Hogwarts and then apply for Quidditch teams.

They remained in silence as the radio started a new song.

 _Open my chest and color my spine_  
I'm giving you all  
I'm giving you all  
Swallow my breath  
And take what is mine  
I'm giving you all  
I'm giving you all  


'We have to read a letter that Kingsley gave us.' Hermione broke their silence after a moment and Harry sighed and tightened his arms around her, he wouldn't let her go for a stupid letter.

'I don't care,' He whispered to her and she nodded. She smelled of vanilla shampoo, wine and the perfume she always wore and he liked, something with jasmine.

 _I'll be the blood_  
If you'll be the bones  
I'm giving you all  
I'm giving you all  
So lift up my body  
And lose all control  
I'm giving you all  
I'm giving you all

'The Prophet, and everyone else will go crazy at us not showing up for the fiesta of the cup.' She added to her list of concerns and Harry almost chuckled.

'I don't give a damn.' He stated and she looked up at him from his embrace.

'And what exactly you care about?' she asked and he could recognize the challenge. She wanted to play provoking; she would get what challenged him for.

_You hover like a hummingbird_ _  
_ _Haunt me in my sleep_ _  
_ _You'll sailing from another world_ _  
_ _Sinking in my sea,_ _  
_ _You're feeding on my energy_ _  
_ _I'm letting go of it_ _  
_ _She wants it_

'I had a nightmare of you in the Malfoy Manor again,' Harry started and her eyes immediately softened although they also shadowed at the memory of her torture. In the firelight, he could still see the faintest of scars on her arm, the rest of the world couldn't notice it but he could still see the slightest of traces of "MUDBLOOD" on her skin, made by the magical dagger of Bellatrix Lestrange, it had left a scar no matter how many high-level concealing charms Healers had performed on Hermione.

'Oh Harry, I am sorry, I'm fine now.' Hermione tried to reassure him but he shook his head and kept her in his arms.

_And I run from wolves, ooh_ _  
_ _Breathing heavily_ _  
_ _At my feet_ _  
_ _And I run from wolves, ooh_ _  
_ _Tearing into me_ _  
_ _Without teeth_

'No you are not fine, Hermione. We're not fine but we should have been a long time ago.' Harry countered and this time she moved from his embrace to face him fully. 'What happened to us? Why we're 30 years old and still beat around the bush?' he charged and Hermione shook her head.

_I can see through you_ _  
_ _We are the same_ _  
_ _It's perfectly strange_ _  
_ _You run in my veins_ _  
_ _How can I keep you_ _  
_ _Inside my lungs_ _  
_ _I breathe what is yours_ _  
_ _You breathe what is mine_

'I'm not doing this again.' Hermione stated and lowered her head only to find his fingers lifting back up her chin.

'Doing what again?' Harry challenged and Hermione this time stood up from the sofa, moving closer to the fireplace, creating distance from him.

'I'm not sacrificing another friendship for an  _attempt_.' Hermione pointed out and Harry sighed.

'Ron and I are not the same,  _you_  with Ron are not the same as you are with me, we're different.' Harry argued.

'Different how, Harry? What the difference will be if we screw up our friendship and nothing is left like with Ron?' Hermione countered and this time he stood up as well, facing her fully.

'We won't screw up!' he declared, his voice rose. Hermione's arms shot up in exasperation.

'You don't know that!' she exclaimed and shook her head. 'We're  _married_  for what, three days? And we're barely talking to each other!' Hermione added furiously and Harry took a deep breath.

Screaming at each other, that rarely happened; he had to approach things differently and quickly. She was building up the Granger Wall he knew so well, only he always was on the right side of it, except maybe this time.

'Our friendship is already harmed because we're cowards, not because of our marriage!' Harry tried to reason with her, failing to raise his own voice. 'There is no way back from here, Hermione.' He added and saw her eyes watering in anger and fear. He knew he was right, it wasn't the past three days, it was the past twenty years that brought them to this.

'How we ended up like this?' she wondered desperately as she tried to gather her tears before they could fall.

_You hover like a hummingbird_ _  
_ _Haunt me in my sleep_ _  
_ _You'll sailing from another world_ _  
_ _Sinking in my sea, oh_ _  
_ _You're feeding on my energy_ _  
_ _I'm letting go of it_ _  
_ _He wants it_

'How long you've been in love with me, on and off, for how long?' Harry approached boldly, deciding to break through every barrier. He could see her widening her eyes at his knowledge of her feelings for him; she was ready to kick back. 'Because I have realized that you were part of me at least since second year, when I saw you recovered from the basilisk. But I don't know how long your voice has been the one of my conscience… I don't know if my heart belonged to you from the moment I saw you falling from Dolohov in the Department of Mysteries.

'Or when I needed your picture to kick Voldemort out of my mind and soul that night at the ministry when possessed me. I don't know if I belonged to you the moment we stayed alone in the tent, when you chose me over everything. I don't know when exactly I started falling for you, Hermione because you're  _always_  there, like the air in my lungs. The war confused us but, Hermione when you suggested to stay in the forest of Dean and grow old? I knew I wanted that ever since.' Harry confessed and Hermione was left shocked to be looking at him.

'Answer me, for how long?' Harry challenged her again and this time moved closer to her. He knew she would either open up and give in or he was pushing over every red line they had drawn in vain and she could close up completely.

 _And I run from wolves, ooh_  
Breathing heavily  
At my feet  
And I run from wolves, ooh  
Tearing into me  
Without teeth

_And you can follow  
You can follow me_

'I don't know since when,' she replied in a small voice. She really didn't know. Was it when they travelled back in time? When she helped him through the Triwizard? At the end of the forth year, when she gave him that first kiss on the cheek? He was right, she was always there, through good and through sick, even her wand worked like his own. They were one. 'I don't know,' she repeated and this time Harry wrapped his hands around her arms.

'Do you still want the two of us to grow old in the forest of Dean?' he asked and Hermione looked deep into his eyes, emerald green and chocolate brown melting with each other.

She couldn't believe this was actually happening. It had almost been a comfort pretending she wasn't in love with him, they had gotten used to playing hide and sick with each other. Suddenly, their cowardice ways had collapsed, living a hangover of responsibility worse than the one they had woken up to, after Vegas.

She knew very well Harry wasn't Ron, she also knew she never was with Ron like how she's with Harry… She had to be brave, she could see the possibility, the terror, the  _opportunity_  of it all, and it was now or never. It wasn't that he had the "saving people thing", he really was a hero and at that very moment he was trying to save them both, he only needed one person backing him up in this, like always, her.

'Yes, I do,' she finally replied to the proposal that came after their actual wedding.

Their lips met in a frenzy of relief and uncertainty. She was sober, been nursing a glass of wine all night, she tasted of expensive Black Family wine, he tasted of the chocolate bar he had eaten before sleep, without brushing his teeth, the rebel.

Their arms wrapped around each other and soon the fight for dominance was evident through their entire bodies, his hands roamed around her back, through her curls, feasting in their kiss and he pressed her against his toned body while her own arms wrapped around his shoulders and she traced her fingers on his unshaved cheek. They broke their kiss that left them breathless and resting against each other's foreheads. Their breathing heavy and their eyes closed as the song faded out.

'I…' Harry trailed off, he wasn't sure how to say it, he had never said the words before to a woman, although he felt so strongly for this one.

'I know,' Hermione reassured him in a ragged whisper, she knew, of course she did.

'I love you,' he formed the words, there, as easy as breathing, close to her, fighting a war had been easier,  _because_  of her, he was there at that moment.

'I love you too,' Hermione replied the same simple truth. They had been married, magically bound and had sex but this was the step they had to take.

They remained intertwined trying to calm down between caresses. Their bodies against each other in their embrace. Hermione looked up at him and suddenly bliss gave way to worry as a very prominent issue rose inside her mind.

'Harry,' she whispered with her eyes filling with fear.

'What now?' he asked as he saw their moment breaking.

'The marriage enables various energies for a couple, one of them is for fertility, we're bound to be more fertile, both of us, for the next days, I… I wasn't on the contraceptive charm while in Vegas.' Hermione spoke the truth without hesitation although she realized she had completely forgotten about it ever since their return from her parents. She looked up at him; she didn't encounter the feared expression she half expected to see.

'Ok… so, you might be pregnant…' Harry verified and she nodded. 'How can we know for sure?' He asked and she sighed, this was a rare occasion where she was frantic and he was calmed.

'With a spell,' Hermione's voice had the matter-of-fact tone Harry knew so well.

'You know how to perform it? Because I don't,' Harry explained and she nodded.

'What if I am, Harry?' Hermione asked him in worry and Harry cupped her chin gently. He wouldn't have their moment destroyed.

'If you are, Vegas didn't only get us together, it also gave us a reason to find a house close to the forest of Dean, big enough for all of us...' Harry stated calmly and Hermione gazed into his eyes. He was right, the two of them were completely different from all their previous relationships. Maybe because they were exactly like that, no other relationship lasted.

Hermione summoned wordlessly her wand and Harry moved half a step back for her to perform the spell.

'If my belly turns green I am with child, if it turns yellow, I'm not.' Hermione explained and Harry nodded, he felt his heart flutter at the possibility. Hermione pointed the wand on her lower abdomen without a word, she made three flicks of her hand and after a moment her belly glowed with bright yellow color. They both let a breath out, mixed with disappointment and relief.

'We better first figure out what is going on with the stone. Then find a house,  _then_  try for a child…. If you want children of course.' Harry stated in a throaty voice and Hermione nodded, they both knew it was better without a child so fast. They needed to set some priorities first.

'I would like one or two,' Hermione replied and Harry smiled at her with hope in his eyes for the future. 'I can't believe we're doing this.' She added quietly as he brought her closer to him, his arms wrapping around her slender body. Crookshanks approached them purring, and rubbed his large head against their legs.

'Took us more than a decade… but look at us now, married, with our first pregnancy test done, all in three days.' Harry added and Hermione chuckled and hugged him tighter to her.

'We can't do a single thing the traditional way,' Hermione observed and Harry laughed.

'I hate tradition.' He replied and kissed her lips once more. It had been easy after all, only about fifteen years indeed. It took winning the World cup for Hermione to get  _actually_  drunk which led to them getting married by Elvis in Vegas. Then in true Harry Potter fashion, his dead parents showing up because of some enemy and his parents talking to him about he should stop letting his life pass him by in vain, it would be the only way for them to finally face the truth, piece of cake.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I wanted to finally add the prespective of Lily for what happened in her family and her friendship with Severus. No, Severus Snape is not in the list of my favorite characters, on the contrary... What you think of the scene between the Potters and what about the scene with Harry and Hermione? I didn't want to drag the angst for too long and I think the pregnancy would be too cliche. After all they can act like adults (like they always do around each other) and trust each other in this. We have the snow to discover and what is happening with it.
> 
> If you liked the chapter please leave a review and let me know what you think or just a word of encouragement for me to keep up!
> 
> Thank you
> 
> CP09


	10. For the Greater Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thanks to Marla1 for her help, without her this wouldn't exist <3

Chapter Ten – For the Greater Good

The bedroom was quiet and beautiful with its, heavy furniture but in beautiful colors. The curtains allowed light to shineed through the windows. The couple on the bed was spooned together on the bed.

Harry's eyes opened slowly, and he planted a kiss on the crown of Hermione's head before him, making her stir.

He still couldn't believe they had made it. Last night they decided to give it a shot, they were married after all, halfway to happiness.

'Morning,' she mumbled and he kissed her head again, her curly hair all over the pillow.

'Good morning,' Harry whispered back and felt her moving around so they could face each other. Only then he realized he was rock hard and he knew she had noticed too.

'Sorry for that,' he admitted sheepishly but she only smiled. 'It's the morning' he added and she laughed sleepily.

'It's ok, Harry…' she replied with a smile, there was no cause of embarrassment, especially between spouses… 'Actually, it's more than okay…' Hermione added daringly and Harry felt his body reacting to her suggestive words, his arms tightened around her and brought her even closer, if this that was evenwas possible.

Their lips met in a passionate lock. Last night they got went to bed both exhausted both from the recent trip to the States and what had happened during it. Only when they admitted to each other their feelings, the burden left their shoulders and the actual mental and physical exhaustion kicked in. Now they had no idea what time was it, or what day it was to be exact. , Tthey only cared for their kiss and the new territory ready to be explored, that of their marriage.

And so far, with the kiss turning hotter, the new territory felt beautiful and welcoming. It was so natural for them to share their thoughts, their feelings, their bond for the past two decades. Now, at last they were also sharing their bodies and affections, they didn't remember clearly their first time but they could make up for it.

'Harry…' Hermione moaned against his lips, her voice husky and full of passion, making him even harder, he was ready to move above her when a sound on the window started the distraction.

'Ignore it,' he commanded in a groan as they resumed their kiss after Hermione glanced at it behind him. They kept on kissing, their bodies melting against each other, a second tapping noise started to accompany the first one, distracting and annoying the couple.

_Tap tap tap, toup toup toup tap tap tap toup toup tap_

'Oh for fuck's sake,' Harry cursed as he collapsed against Hermione, they were both out of breath as they looked at the window. and They saw two of the most stupid looking owls that the Owl Post Service could use, tapping the window like crazy. 'Alright, alright,' Harry murmured as he struggled to stand up from the bed and his wife, get rid of the sheets that had wrapped around him and reach the window. Both owls held the prophet with one leg.

'We need to cancel one of our subscriptions to the Prophet now that we'll be living together. And we definitely need to cancel the premium service of it.' Hermione stated and Harry shot her a smile at the mention of living together. The Prophet had granted them premium status of customers as they were war heroes, not that they asked for the upgrade,. t They didn't need to read propaganda first thing in the morning, and especially after its service interrupted their encounters…

The owls flew inside the room, threw the newspapers on the bed, flattering their winds with noise, they turned around midair and got out ofleft out the same window they got in and that Harry kept left open for them. Silly birds, but he liked them and missed his own.

Hermione took one of the copies of the newspaper as Harry reached the bed, sat close to her and took the other. The title was glaring with large letters.

 __ **THE POTTERS TURN THEIR BACK TO THE WORLD CUP CELEBRATIONS**  
While We All celebrated, Harry & Hermione Potter didn't bother to show  
themselves to share the happiness.  
No word from the Minister's office about their meeting  
or the charges against them during their stay in the States.

_**Wood: "I have no idea where Harry is."  
Ron Weasley: "No comment…"** _

Harry and Hermione looked at each other as they set down the copies with the massive title and their photograph from the previous day in the ministry's atrium. They didn't expect less of a reaction from the press; of course they would be their new toy for the next weeks if not months. The only problem they now realized was the actual silence from the Burrow. They hadn't seen Ron in the past days, ever since he stormed out of the room after Hermione's explanation to him and now they felt almost grateful he didn't stir the fire with some kind of comment on the whole situation.

'You think we should find and talk to Ron?' Harry asked and Hermione sighed.

'You think he will listen to anything right now?' Hermione asked back and Harry shook his head, as they knew him very well, even though their lives had changed ever since the war, they still knew his reactions. Ron had been out of his mind with the locket's vision; Harry didn't want to face more drama now that he was actually married to Hermione. The two men hadn't fought the other day only because Hermione had been clear with Ron and the redhead had channeled his anger at her words and not their actions.

Harry could only realize now that Ron was right all along, Harry and Hermione had something everyone could see, some feared but only the couple had at first failed to see and then tried to deny for years.

'Lets read the letter from Kingsley,' Hermione brought the issue again. They had achievedtried to control the damage with her parents, avoid charges from the ministry, and got the bookstore was ready to be open. bBut they still had to deal with the Prophet, the community, their friends and above all, the stone who had brought back Harry's parents. Then, they could start exploring their relationship as a married couple.

Hermione had brought the letter with them into Harry's bedroom the previous night and now she was now reaching for it. She had insisted on reading it first thing in the morning. She broke the seal of the ministry and unfolded it before she could start reading. There were two different handwritings, one was quick and the rest was calligraphic.

_The following letter is for Harry J. Potter & Hermione J. Granger  
After reading it, please come to my office immediately._

_Kingsley_

_Dear Harry_

_This letter was written during my search for the Horcrux Locket of Tom Riddle. My days are numbered so I am enclosing the Resurrection Stone in your first Snitch in my final will and testament. , Miss. Granger will receive a book and Mr. Weasley, my deluminator. I am writing this in hopes that the ministry will respect my wish for this letter to be accompanied by the Snitch to your hands. I wish I could protect you from the faith of them but I know you will be wise enough to rise above their power. I already gave you the Cloak a few years back and now I am sending you the Stone to help you defeat Voldemort by becoming the Master of the Hallows._

_Although you have told me about you and Miss. Granger's platonic relationship, I know that the following years will be challenging and you two have a knack for turning to each other for help and support. I hope this tendency will bloom into deeper things. If so, I need to inform you, my dearest student, that as the Master of the Hallows, you will be sharing their power with your wife, in my sincere hopes that it will be Miss. Granger with her wise and brilliant mind to help you win over the destructive power of them._

_The Hallows are as powerful as Horcruxes, and they can be as addictive. I am sure, as Miss. Granger will read in the tales of the Bard, you will understand that Death made the Hallows as punishment for the Three Brothers. and His Gifts are designed to absorb as many souls as possible. Please, if you share this power with your wife, put an end into the Hallows' circle by destroying them before they destroy you._

_For the first time in my life I wish I would live longer to help and guide you through the final part of your fight against Voldemort, please do forgive me I won't be there to do so._

_The Last Enemy that shall be Destroyed is Death  
Albus Dumbledore_

Harry and Hermione looked at each other with horror in their eyes. This letter never reached them when Minister Rufus Scrimgeour had presented Dumbledore's testament at the Burrow the day of Bill and Fluer's wedding. The ministry had hidden the letter from Harry. This letter was explaineding the Stone, the Hallows, it would have saved them months from off the Hunt, and it might have even saved them half the trouble. Harry felt anger rising up inside him like fire.

At that moment he couldn't focus on Dumbledore's prophetic words about him and Hermione getting together. He could only focus on the fact that this letter would have saved them valuable time from the search, the ministry not hadn't only abandoned them before it fell in Death Eaters' hands, it also made their life harder by keeping this letter from them.

Although he had survived the war and the Hallows, now not only one of them was stolen and used to harm him, he also had to find it for Hermione's sake along his. They were sharing the Hallows' power or for better description, the Hallows' curse. He felt guilty as he looked with fear at his best friend and wife.

'Don't you dare take that look at with me like that,' Hermione actually ordered him and he took a deep breath. 'We've been through worse.' She added and Harry nodded as she took his hand in hers and she moved closer to him, letting the letter fall by their bodies. 'Last night you asked me if I want to grow old with you,' Hermione stated and he nodded as she moved even closer and actually straddled his lap, he wrapped his arms around her for support. 'You also said you love me,' Hermione added and Harry nodded again as he looked at her chocolate brown eyes.

'I do,' he said in a hoarse voice.

'Then don't start with the guilt and fear for me,' Hermione responded and he sighed. 'I have been target number two because of our friendship and my blood status. I have been captured, tortured, stabbed and cursed.' Hermione recalled all her hardships and Harry was ready to protest but her finger on his lips halted him. 'But it was my choice to stand by your side, during those cold nights at the tent, in our battles, and I was a teenager. I was there because I loved you and I love you now even more.' Hermione continued her words and her logic; her matter-of-fact voice almost calmed him his from the anger for at the ministry. 'The Horcruxes were my problem as much as it they werewas yours. It was, same with the Hallows, when you used my wand as easily as you used yours, we were fine. , when you left for the forest to fight Voldemort, it was the only moment you didn't allow me to come. But you know I would go with you as I had told you.' Hermione recalled again and Harry sighed and nodded. 'We're in this together,' she added and he remembered the times she had told him the same words in the past.

'Have I ever told you what I saw when I stabbed the Cup of Hufflepuff?' Hermione asked and Harry shook his head, he had wondered but never asked. He was, not sure if he should bring it up, especially after the experience he had with Ron stabbing the locket. 'Isn't it obvious, Harry? It was you dead; it was me without you. It wasn't failure like with the boggart, it was you away from me., sSo don't say a word about the Hallows and our sharing of them. I take you and the package of your destiny with the Prophesies and the Hallows and the saving people thing... I have chosen you as you are for a long time now.' She concluded and Harry could only hug her to him and kiss her.

She was the only one who could put up with all this. She was the only one who had done it anyway. The rest waited for him, she pulled him through. This is what he always needed, someone by his side, not behind him, not before him, by him. , tThey were two equal forces of magic and nature and he had to admit, they couldn't be with anyone else but each other. No one else had experienced what they did; no one else could understand the two of them, only each other, without drama, with trust in their weak moments, knowing how to break through each other's barriers and obstacles.

The night before he was finally getting to her for the truth of their feelings, now she was putting him in his place for his reflex of guilt and fear for her. He couldn't be afraid for her, she was powerful, and he believed she was more powerful than him, she had proved it countless times.

'I love you, wife,' he could only say and she smiled and laughed, even now, with a new problem in the list, she was the one to help him through. He loved her laugh.

'I love you too, husband,' she replied and he smiled and pecked her lips before he could stand up and take her with him, she let her slender legs touch the ground and they remained against each other. 'We better go to Kingsley.' Hermione stated after another kiss, he nodded.

Only problem was, no one could floo into the minister's office and, only floo out of it for security reasons. That meant they had to go through the atrium of the ministry again, where all the reporters were waiting for yet another day. At the thought of the ministry keeping secrets he felt the anger returning.

'It's back in the past,' Hermione said as if she was reading his mind and he only nodded. 'I'll meet you at the fireplace in ten minutes, ok?' Hermione asked and he nodded as she left the room to go to her own and get dressed. They needed to move their stuff in one bedroom. She had to move in from her apartment in London, even though half her stuff were was already in Grimmauld as she always spent half her days in the house. Despite his anger, he could only admire her as she moved out of the room. His feelings had been a rollercoaster, he won the cup, got married, his parents were there, her parents half accepted them, their friends didn't, the Stone was activated, they admitted their feelings to each other, the hallows were something they now shared, the ministry had hidden things from them.

'It's interesting to have a wife, isn't it?' James' voice was heard and Harry looked at his father's ghost, he smiled.

'I don't think I have realized it yet,' Harry admitted to his dad who nodded and chuckled.

'Every time I looked at your mother, I always needed a moment to accept she had actually allowed me to be with her,' James replied and Harry smiled. 'It's amazing when you realize you got the right person finally.' James added and Harry could only admire his parents' relationship, even if brief, it was a model for others.

'Hermione is unique,' Harry stated and James nodded his head.

'That she is,' the ghost confirmed with a smile, the two men looked very much alike indeed, although now Harry looked older than his father, the paradoxes of a magical life. 'It's a good thing she keeps you in check, your mother did the same with me,' James added and Harry smiled, she never backed down, not while he screamed and lost control, not when she reached her own limits, she was always there. He was a married man now; he would do his best to be a good husband.

'Any advice to keep her happy?' Harry asked his dad who smiled and shook his head.

'You always keep her in your mind, as far as I know, son. You always felt the need to be a better person for her; and you achieved so this without too much of a struggle. for your character, y You just take care of her like she does with you. You want her to be happy, you respect her., I'm not sure I can advise you with something more. You have it all.' James simply stated and Harry smiled, he was enough…

The moment the couple flooed in the atrium the same scene unfolded with tens of reporters approaching. Again and Harry pusheding them aside so he and Hermione could move through the crowd to the elevators. They reached it without commenting on anything, both dressed in cloaks above over their casual muggle clothes.

They reached the minister's office and by the time Harry got in the place, the letter from Dumbledore was burning a hole in his cloak's pocket. The moment he got inside the office he saw Kingsley with a serious expression on his face, nothing like the face he had when he first saw them a day ago.

Kingsley waved his wand once and a note was flying pasts them and out of the office before the door behind them could close. Harry took out the letter and slammed it on the desk.

'Why the ministry hid this from me?!' Harry asked in a voice that broke in fury. Kingsley took a deep breath.

'Please, Harry, Hermione, sit down.' The minister offered.

'I don't want to sit down, I want an answer!' Harry this time shouted and Hermione touched his arm as she reached the desk of the minister by Harry's side.

'Kingsley, I don't think taking longer than needed for the explanations to be given will help here. Just answer us.' Hermione spoke in a much steadier voice but in a strict tone, there was no reason to ask Harry to sit down neither either, she too wanted to scream at the minister herself.

'I understand, but it's more complicated then you think, so please, both of you, sit down.' Kingsley insisted and Hermione looked at Harry who only nodded and let himself onsat in one of the chairs, he could go with the minister's waters, only because Hermione was there with him. 'Minister Scrimgeour had kept this because at the time, the ministry was trying to help you. The testament of Dumbledore was opened by the Aurors in the minister's presence before he could reveal it to you, we were at war, and we had to act undercover for some things. The ministry had hoped that it would be able to help, you were just children and the best of aurors had taken the letter for inspection. However, the night following the revelation of the testament to you, the attack in the ministry took place.

'Scrimgeour was murdered and the aurors defending you from the Order were able to save the letter and take it away from the ministry in secret, it was one of the very few things we salvaged before the Death Eaters could take over that night. I was the keeper of the secret but since you two and Ron achieved everything on your own, I had promised that I would reveal the truth to you before you would get married,, Harry so you could know that the power of the Hallows will be shared with your wife. I just never thought that you'd get married in the middle of the night in Vegas… my plan was to inform you  _before_  you would were to get married, not after. Like Dumbledore, I half knew and hoped it would be Hermione by your side. Another thing I didn't expect was for the Stone to be used again… I thought we'd have time.' Kingsley's words were met with silence. Of course it would be one of the ministry's failed ideas of helping. Even if he didn't like it, Harry could see the reasons in Kingsley's way of thinking, the ministry of course had screwed up but he could see the failed potential. Before Harry or Hermione could speak a word there was a knock on the door and Kingsley answered it.

A man and a woman entered the room with hard, solemn faces; one was holding a box with a double chain around it. Harry and Hermione stood up as they both recognized Vanessa Crickerly, the head of the Aurors' office and Joseph Flint, the head of the Department of Mysteries and Chief Unspeakable for the ministry. Harry looked at the box the man was holding and he felt his stomach uneasy.

'Minister,' Flint acknowledged in a deep voice as he set the box on the table, between the couple and Kingsley, he moved back close to his colleague., Bboth employees of the ministry were around their sixties and in obvious discomfort. Harry didn't like that.

'What's in there?' Hermione finally asked for the both of them and Kingsley sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Harry had decided to put the Elder Wand back in Dumbledore's tomb to keep the curse of it under control. But the ministry had decided it wasn't a safe place, after all Voldemort had already violated the tomb and everyone knew about it and…'

'WHAT?' Harry screamed this time, even the tiny bits of sympathy for the minister's failed plans for the letter evaporating before the plot about the wand behind his back.

'Harry…. You were a child and the ministry…' Kingsley tried but Harry wouldn't have it.

'I was a child who saved everyone's asses! I WAS THE MAN WHO SAVED YOU ALL EVEN WITH YOU HIDING THE HELP I NEEDED WITH THAT FUCKING LETTER BUT I WASN'T OLD ENOUGH TO DECIDE FOR THE WAND? I AM ITS MASTER!' He bellowed and hated the possessiveness he felt over the damn thing, it was corrupting him and he hated it. It shouldn't have been before him but in Dumbledore's tomb as he had decided.

'Mr. Potter…' Flint tried as Kingsley remained silent and Harry glared at him as he made a small step closer to the couple. 'You need to understand, before the letter and before Dumbledore, everyone believed the Hallows were a tale for children... But you proved otherwise and the ministry had to take care of the artifact. We kept it secret and safe here in the Department of Mysteries, studied it and took care of it in the Death Chamber. Some things have owners and some other things are to be studied for the future generations.' Flint explained and in his fury, Harry laughed bitterly.

'Kept it secret and safe in the same Department I broke into with my friends at age fifteen?' Harry asked sarcastically and Flint narrowed his eyes at the young man, insulted by the comment. 'Same Department that needed years to learn that Rookwood was a spy for Voldemort?' Harry added, and this time Flint opened his mouth to answer but Hermione interrupted him.

'You haven't done a good job "saving" the Stone however!' Hermione spoke finally and Harry looked at her, the Wand was almost humming to him from inside the box after so many years away from him. He hadn't realized in the brief days he had it how powerful it was as he had been exhausted and vulnerable from the Hunt and the Horcruxes. He was sure Hermione could also feel it now, they had been through magical objects and their corrupting powers like the locket but after so long, they had almost forgotten.

'Mr. Potter here  _lost_  the stone,' Flint replied through gritted teeth.

'I didn't lose it, I  _threw_  it away,' Harry retorted and Flint clenched his fists.

'Because you had  _no_  idea what you were doing, because you were a  _child_ , unable to decide upon important cases like the Deathly Hallows!' he retorted.

'Flint, enough!' Kingsely almost barked from behind Harry who was already moving closer to the man.

'Because I was about to die for everyone, facing Voldemort alone so now you can pretend to be the infamous and successful Unspeakable!' Harry rasped out of his teeth, his wand feeling heavier in his pocket, begging to be drawn. Hermione rushed close to the two men who remained an inch apart, breathing heavily atbefore each other.

'Harry, no,' Hermione whispered and pulled him back and away from the older man.

'This is something we've been trying to fix ever since 1998 and that was the reason all the affected heroes got were required to go through evaluation and therapy. We kept used the information everyone gave to create a puzzle. We knew of the Stone because of the letter and we knew it was somewhere in Hogwarts grounds but we couldn't find it and you never left with it. We searched every inch but someone had taken it., wWe tried with the centaurs but they had nothing, same with the merpeople. We hoped that through therapy, someone would tell us where it is but we came out empty-handed.' Crickerly explained and Harry this time rubbed his face with his hand. All this was too much.

'So you kept the Wand behind my back, searched for the Stone and when you didn't find it you set up a program for us to interrogate everyone about it…' Harry summed up and Kingsley took a deep breath, Harry was losing trust in a man he respected.

'You make it sound awful, Harry everything happened for the Greater Good.' Kingsley said softly, another failed father figure. His words could have been those of Dumbledore.

'He makes it sound exactly as it is, Kingsley.' Hermione replied for Harry and he moved closer to her instinctively. They had been through a lot in that same ministry; they had almost died in the Department of Mysteries. All this failed trying of the ministry to save them and study the Hallows only rewarded justified their choices to stay away from it and its politics. 'Has it crossed your mind that since you never put the Wand to rest, as Harry requestedhad, the Stone also remained active?...'Hermione wondered and looked at the ministry people. 'Or you simply didn't not care in hopes of studying the Wand and expecting to detect signs of the Stone being used…' She confirmed in her own voice as she saw the lowered faces. 'So for more than a decade you've been playing with fire, waiting for either the Wand to drive its Master mad with need away from him or whoever got the Stone to finally use it loud enough for you to notice…' Hermione added and was greeted by silence.

; Harry remained without a wordsilent as she was the one working out the ministry's failed plans. 'If we hadn't told you about James and Lily Potter, you would still wait for it…' Hermione added and then her eyes widened.

'That means that whoever got the Stone might have been using it for  _years_  already, they might have lost their mind by now and now they triedy to get to Harry by showing him his parents.' Hermione explained and looked at her husband, her eyes mirroring the fear he had for her before. She then looked at Flint and Crickerly. 'According your reports during our therapy, who were the most unstable of us all? Who could have stolen the Stone?' Hermione asked but Flint shook his head.

'We searched through everyone, the reports are classified,' Flint responded curtly but Hermione herself moved closer to him in two strides, she didn't have to draw her wand, her index finger was enough, pushing against the old man's chest.

'Don't lecture me about  _privacy_  and answer the bloody question!' Hermione demanded and Flint glanced at Kingsley above the young woman who only nodded.

'Most of the Weasleys, both the Lovegoods, Neville Longbottom and many more failed our criteria; the ministry's criteria were very specific. If we go like that then there are many, many are suspects, even you Miss. Granger, or actually Mrs. Potter and your husband here. , yYou were on the borderline accepted by our program.' Flint replied in a tight voice. Hermione's eyes narrowed at him as Harry approached them.

'How very  _convenient_...' She commented sarcastically. 'Just enough sane to keep the Wand and Stone if you ever found them both and we resisted on handing them over to you…' Hermione added and Harry sighed.

'Unlock the box and hand me the Wand, you had your decade of fun with it. Now hand it to me and we'll find the Stone on our own. You've done more than enough damage.' Harry stated and this time Kingsley stood up.

'I'm afraid this is impossible, Harry.' Kingsley replied and Harry turned to him.

'You really want to do it the hard way, Kingsely?' Harry challenged and both Harry and Hermione this time actually drew their wands. Flint and Crickerly did the same instantly, the atmosphere suddenly crackled with magical energy. 'We can take it and escape the ministry, become fugitives…let everyone know the good job that has been done here…. Everyone is interested in us since we got married after the World Cup…. Imagine if the whole truth was out and the ministry was showns in bad light all over again…' Harry suggested, in a rare display of his actual status as war hero and quidditch star.

'As a gossip or not, we'll be shown as the martyrs who cannot be accepted for what they are, the community still loves us. Do you want the new generation of people remember you like they do with Thicknesse or Fudge?' Hermione wondered this time. Kingsley looked at the young couple.

'I just don't want you corrupted by the Wand.' Kingsley tried softly but Harry and Hermione wouldn't have it.

'The Hallows need to be destroyed and you have failed even to find the Stone, let alone destroy the Wand. We are the Masters of them and we'll do what we should have done back then, destroy them both once and for all.' Harry pointed out. Everyone remained in silence for a moment more before Kingsley could wave for the two chiefs dolts to put back their wands away. He moved his hand above the box and the chains disappeared in little golden sparkles.

'Take it,' He finally said and Harry took the box. Crickerly moved a step closer but her wand was back in its holder.

'But Minister, sir…' She objected, Kingsley shook his head.

'If we want them to keep even an ounce of trust in us and the statute, we need to trust them first,' the man spoke wisely and Harry looked at him. He could see the older man's fear of them turning to the dark side. He could see the good intentions road that led to the current hell.

The couple left with the box in their hands by the floo network back to Grimmauld, leaving the heads of the ministry in total silence., tThey magically blocked the floo entrance to anyone the moment they stepped out of the fireplace.

They were alone again.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh I hope you liked it! I like big chapters with a lot of information inside. I wanted a hhr scene (even a short one) and for years I believed that the ministry (and especially the department of mysteries) wouldn't leave such thing as the Elder Wand untouched, what do you think? Did you like the letter from Dumbledore? what about the scene at the minister's office. I don't like the bad ministry vs good Harry dynamic, I mostly wanted to show how politics and govs work.
> 
> Remember, reviews are support and love, let me know what you think of it!
> 
> CP09


	11. A Woman and Love

Chapter Eleven – A Woman and Love

The couple of best friends and spouses remained silent in the large living room. In the same room they revealed their feelings for each other, now they sat in silence and before them, on the mahogany coffee table, remained the box, closed but not sealed.

'What are we supposed to do?' Harry finally wondered and Hermione looked at him. They knew that even if they tried the ministry again, seemingly in regret of their actions against the minister and his officials, the Unspeakables wouldn't talk to them about possible findings on the Wand. Although, Harry doubted they found any. Dumbledore had left nothing in his note and as far as Harry knew, most of the Wand's Masters didn't live long enough to explore its powers before it could devour them.

This led him to his worry over himself and Hermione being its current Masters. He wasn't delusional, the Deathstick didn't really have Masters, it was impassive on the ownership of humans, it craved magical power that came from emotions, that much he was aware of, and even if he was away from it for so long, he could feel its magic like a magnet humming before him,  _for_  him.

In his few moments with it during the Hogwarts Battle he was so emotional he wasn't sure if it was also the wand that fed his desperation, that led him to leave everyone behind and go to the forest on his own, even leave Hermione behind and face Voldemort, now Harry wondered if it was actually the Wand that had lured him like a fly close to the fire…

That man in the ministry was right, he had been reckless to throw away the Stone like that but Harry wondered if the Hallows worked with each other against their own Master, after all these magical objects gave their allegiance to the Wizard and nothing more… maybe under the Wand's influence he let go of the Stone.

'We can do only one thing,' Hermione finally replied, taking him out of his thoughts and making him look at her. 'We can only experiment with it to find the Stone,' Hermione added and Harry sighed. Hiding it away would do no good, Dumbledore had used it for years and didn't get corrupted, they were both brave and smart but were they that wise?

In all honesty, his brave heart was afraid of the damn Deathstick and what it could do to them or their future. Dumbledore had no children and his past was dark with Grindelweld but Harry wanted to have a family with Hermione. He was already worried about her, with the Elder Wand back and them both as its Masters, it wouldn't be the first time in history that someone who defeated an evil wizard became evil himself. He couldn't even think of having children that he would have to pass it down to. After all, losing the allegiance of the Wand was so easy, simply someone had to disarm them and the vicious circle would reopen.

'It's the only way to find the Stone, we can experiment with it, with its obvious dangers, of course,' Hermione acknowledged and Harry took a deep breath.

'I can't believe after all we've been through now that we are married the Elder Wand shows up out of nowhere to test us with its turn.' Harry admitted and almost felt relieved with Hermione smiling at him and reaching for his hand which he gave for her to bring close to her body.

'I think that if we make it with this too, then  _nothing_  can actually set us apart.' Hermione observed and Harry couldn't stop himself as he moved closer and kissed her lips, his free hand moving in her rich wavy hair and keeping her gently from the nape of her neck.

They broke their kiss after a few moments and rested their foreheads against each other.

'Experiment how with the bloody thing?' Harry asked and he could see the glim in her eyes, it had nothing to do with the Wand's power, it was clear Hermionish curiosity over something that has answers.

'I have researched about it in the bookshop, ideas some of its owners had, their memoirs, of course there are entire centuries of it being lost but through people like Barnabas Derevil who is the first to call it Eldrun Wand, I have found some things we can do with it to find the Stone.' Hermione replied and Harry remained silent. Hermione took the hint. 'You never researched about it, did you?' Hermione asked but her voice had no annoyance or disappointment in it. 'I don't blame you, it is an awful magical object,' Hermione added and Harry was glad she understood, after all she was there all the way with corrupting magical objects. She knew how hard was for him to follow his destiny with prophesies, the hallows and the horcruxes.

'OK, in short, the Elder Wand has many names. Loxias, another owner of it called it Deathstick. According Garrick Olivander if the Wand existed, it would have a Thestral hair in its core. He never added notes on it as it was an ingredient he never used in wands, nor any other member of the Olivander's family.' Hermione's mind was racing; Harry could see her old familiar hyperventilation when her mind worked fast and efficiently. He remained silent as she recalled all the important things she had to tell him.

 _'The bloody trail of the Elder Wand is splattered across the pages of wizarding history.'_  Harry remembered Xenophilious Lovegood's words back in their eventful visit to his house during the Horcrux hunt.

'In _Magick Moste Evile_ _, Godelot the author and at some point Master of the Wand, wrote that he was to perish in his own son's cellar where he had been captured and jailed.' Hermione recalled and Harry remained silent again, processing what she was saying. However a question popped in his head and he needed to ask._

_'Was there a woman who Mastered the Wand?' He asked and Hermione shook her head._

_'None that we know of,' Hermione replied and Harry looked at her in wonder. 'Either because it's something with the wand and women or the women who kept possession of it were wise enough not to brag about it,' Hermione replied and Harry nodded. Evil witches existed, he had fought some of them, and he wondered how all of them made it to keep silent against the Wand's design to cause havoc. Hermione's eyes widened and Harry looked at her._

_'The wand is made to create chaos, I don't think anyone would be able to remain so silent about it,' Hermione replied and Harry nodded as if she had read his thoughts. 'Antioch Peverell maybe designed it only for wizards; after all it was_ _centuries_ _ago, maybe he never expected of it to end up in a woman's hands...' Hermione whispered._

' _Those who are knowledgeable about wandlore will agree that wands do indeed absorb the expertise of those who use them.'_ Hermione whispered again and Harry understood nothing. She looked at him frantically moving her hands.  _'Those who are knowledgeable about wandlore will agree that wands do indeed absorb the expertise of those who use them!'_  she repeated frantically and Harry attempted to actually calm her down from her epiphany so she would use words. 'Dumbledore had written that in the copy of the Tales he had given me in his will!' Hermione added and Harry shook his head.

'Use words so I can understand, Hermione love, please!' Harry begged and for a moment only she calmed at the sound of her new title 'love'.

'Exactly that!' Hermione exclaimed and clapped her hands as she stood up and started pacing. 'Bloody ministry, if they had given us the letter from Dumbledore I would have found out the solution during the hunt!' Hermione called out and looked at Harry who remained silent for her to complete the puzzle in her head before she could speak.

'Harry you said so! No woman has ever mastered the Wand before! At least no one that we know of!' Hermione finally started and Harry nodded his head. 'And the Wand itself absorbs the user's expertise….. In your case it's love!' Hermione exclaimed and Harry frowned.

'So in our hands it will turn into Lovestick?...' he asked dumbly and she actually laughed.

'No! But we will turn it into our actual tool to track down the Stone and then through my  _nature_  as a woman and your  _expertise_  we'll destroy it once and for all,' Hermione replied and Harry wasn't sure he understood.

" _The oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!"_ Hermione quoted from the Beedle the Bard and Harry nodded.

'That's why Dumbledore hoped we'd end up together, because this is the only occasion someone with so deep and unconditional love is the Master of Death and through you and our marriage I become the first woman to use it. All this is completely against the ideas Antioch Peverell had when he was inventing the wand…. That's why nobody could destroy it; it takes the Master of the Hallows to be someone who can actually love as much as you can and his own wife to be wed to him by love and to be well… a wife.' Hermione explained and Harry could see where she was going with her theory.

'If you think about in reverse, Antioch Peverell used all the things he could imagine that would make the Deathstick indestructible. To destroy it, someone who had  _already_  conquered Death had to master the Wand and his brothers' inventions. This someone had to survive the Wand's nature, the Stone's power of bringing back the dead without going mad and be someone powerful who could love deeply and that someone also had to have a wife, as the wand was made only for the stereotype of the powerful man with the powerful tool of destruction!' Hermione was explaining and Harry could feel a tiny flicker of hope about ending it all.

'We need to use the Wand to find the Stone, the Hallows are linked with each other. If my theory is right, the Wand will be hard to yield now, we're completely against its nature but we have to use it as to find the Stone. I know some spells we can try, it's a good thing that as a heroine of war, I got access to the forbidden section of the Hogwarts Library when we went back for our final year.' Hermione added and Harry could only keep nodding. 'Dumbledore didn't only want you to get the Hallows as to defeat Voldemort, he also wanted us together so we could destroy the Hallows afterwards, finish what he couldn't do. That's why he gave all three to you.' Hermione concluded and Harry could only feel the need to stand up and hug his wife to him.

'I wouldn't have survived a day without you, Hermione, have I told you you're brilliant?' he asked as she hugged him back.

'Only a million times,' Hermione replied with a smile as she looked up at him, he was only slightly taller than her. 'Harry…. Don't expect it to be easy, I don't know exactly how things will turn out with it against us… lets not forget it's the most powerful wand in the world… now that we are the recipe of its destruction, it will be hostile and dangerous. Like the Horcruxes, when close to its destruction it will probably lash out.' Hermione added and Harry nodded and sighed.

'I know,' Harry acknowledged and moved a lock of her curls away from her face with his fingers. 'You think we should try our experiments with it here?' He asked and Hermione nodded.

'The less noise we make by going somewhere else with it, the best chances we have to finish quickly with it, I think it will try its best to provoke more people against us.' Hermione explained and Harry nodded. 'We'll use the cellar, underground level is ideal for the magic to be absorbed by earth itself.' Hermione added and Harry nodded. 'I will have to floo to the shop to get some books first; we'll prepare the cellar and then start with the Wand. If needed, I will go to Hogwarts and the library, but I think we'll be good, I remember all the things I need. ' Hermione instructed and Harry nodded, he kissed the tip of her nose. 'Your observation was very good, about women and the wand, Dumbledore had also noted that in the book but I hadn't connected the dots.' Hermione praised and Harry shook his head.

'You would have thought about it if we had the letter in the first place,' Harry reassured her and smiled. 'As for the observation, it was just that… I wondered why no woman ever got in the trouble.' Harry added and Hermione smiled back and kissed him.

'It's a good thing after all that I am not pregnant,' Hermione observed in a quiet voice and Harry sighed and nodded.

'We must finish this if we want to have children.' He stated in a matter of fact voice that had Hermione nodding. Four days ago they were preparing for the States and the Quidditch cup final, now they were married, talking children and how to destroy the Elder Wand… They had to finish the Hallows if they wanted their children to lead a safe life or themselves to live for that matter.

'We'll destroy the Hallows, we collected and destroyed the Horcruxes with mere hints from Dumbledore, we are not the children we were back then. And now we are together.' Hermione added and Harry despite of the situation smiled and kissed her lips.

'Can we keep the cloak for the future?' Harry asked in sheepishly and Hermione nodded her head.

'I think we can,' Hermione confirmed and Harry smiled and kissed her lips again.

'That cloak has been passed down since the age of Iolanthe Peverell, please do keep it in the family!' James' voice was heard from behind them and the couple loosened their embrace and looked at Harry's semi transparent parents who had showed up. With an uneasy feeling in his stomach, Harry realized that he had almost gotten used to his parents' "presence" in the house and their lives. The Stone had to be found the soonest for everyone's sake.

'An owl arrived while you were away,' Lily informed them and at that moment Kreacher showed up with the letter in his hand.

'Masters,' the elf bowed slightly as he gave the letter to Hermione before he could move away.

'Thank you, Kreacher,' Hermione said as she took the letter with the all too familiar handwriting on the envelope of it. 'It's from Ron,' she simply stated as she opened it in silence. Harry waited for a few more moments.

_We need to talk sooner or later. But not at the Burrow. Send this back with the location and time you want to meet._

_Ron_

'It's civilized enough…' Harry noted and Hermione nodded as she looked at the piece of parchment. 'Why not at the Burrow though?' Harry wondered and Hermione sighed and put the letter back in the envelope.

'Maybe because he doesn't want people to frown at him while he lectures about how much left out he is again.' Hermione observed with annoyance painting her voice. 'I think Ron has to wait, we need to focus on the Wand,' Hermione added and Harry nodded. He wasn't sure what they could actually say to each other. Four days ago Ron was planning on trying again to win back Hermione; it felt like it was ages ago with what had happened until that moment. 'It's not just that I am tired of facing Ron over something he has no business with like our own choices in life, it's also that we must be careful with the people we meet now that the Wand is back in our possession. It's destructive enough with its allegiance given to the wizard, I don't know how it will be with the only people that can destroy it. Ron is also vulnerable to magical objects that can corrupt… if we engage in a fight like back in the tent when he left; a disarming charm is enough for the Wand to change hands… This is a unique opportunity to finish it and I don't want us ending up harming our friends or family while trying to destroy it.' Hermione added and Harry sighed, she was right.

'I think we need to stay here, gather all the books and anything we might need. Cast the needed spells in the cellar and start the soonest. At least if things go  _very_  wrong it will be only us.' Harry added and Hermione nodded. They were in great risk again and this time they wished no one to be jeopardized. It was their mission to find the Stone and finish the Wand.

'Maybe we should leave a note behind?' Hermione added 'Just in case things go completely wrong.' Hermione suggested and Harry nodded, even if they had completely changed in the past years, Ron remained their closest friend. 'For Ron, my parents, Andromeda and Teddy…' Hermione added and Harry rubbed the bridge of his nose, realizing little by little how many people would be affected if things turned lethal for the two of them.

'Everything will be fine,' Lily tried to reassure them from her spot with James, it must have been awful for her to see her son and his best friend and wife before such threat again. The two couples remained silent after that, across each other with the wooden box with the Wand between them.

'Maybe you should open it after you have prepared the cellar.' James suggested as the living couple looked at the box at the same time, a surge of need to open the box cursing through their veins.

'He's right,' Hermione observed after a moment, it was hard to deny the pull she felt from the damn thing. 'The note first of all,' Hermione added as she tore her eyes away from the box and back to Harry who did the same, he took his own wand and accioed pieces of parchment, two feather pens and an ink container. The couple sat back on the table, before the box and took one parchment each.

_Dear Mum and Dad_

_If you are reading this letter it means that my latest mission to save the Wizarding World was my final one. This letter was made prior to my attempt to destroy a powerful object in Grimmauld Place number 12 in London. I want you to know that I love you very much and I am very proud to be your daughter. I want you to move on and live the life I wasn't allowed to. I want you also to know that I died next to Harry, my husband and best friend and this is exactly where I wanted to be while falling.  
I love you very much, I am sorry I couldn't make it._

_Your daughter_

_Hermione_

_Dear Ron_

_We wish this letter never reached you, if it did, it means that we didn't have enough time to explain to you that because of the ministry, the Elder Wand was never gotten rid of from the face of the Earth and it came to our possession. We had to try and destroy it as someone had been using the Resurrection Stone as well to get to Harry and we had to at least attempt and destroy the Deathstick before the vicious circle reopened. If this letter reached you, we only hope that we took the Elder Wand with us while falling._

_In the past years we've changed a lot, the three of us, but we both want you to remember that we died happy as a married couple and that we love you, no matter what, you are our best friend._

_Harry & Hermione_

_Dear Andromeda and Teddy_

_If this letter reaches you, it means that Hermione and I died in our try to destroy the Elder Wand. We know that in the past days you probably learnt from the Prophet of our marriage as we had no chance to meet with you properly after the States and the Cup, many things have happened since the night of the Final but we want you to know that we love you very much and we did our best to finish the Hallows for everyone's sake._

_Because of our marriage, our fortune is bound together for the remaining 73 days of the spells that protect and nourish it. After these days, we declare Edward Lupin our sole heir for our vaults in Gringorts Bank, our annual earnings from the Quidditch Association, the War Heroes Trust and our properties including the bookshop Flourish and Blotts, Diagon Alley number 3, Grimmauld Place number 12 London and the Potter properties at Godric's Hollow. Andromeda Tonks is to be the legal guardian of the fortune until Edward Lupin turns 25 years old._

_We wish things had turned out differently, we love you very much._

_Harry & Hermione_

The couple remained before the three pieces of parchment as the ink dried. They looked at each other. They couldn't obliviate anyone this time; they couldn't push away the rest. It was them against the Wand and these little farewells were the best they could make for their closest people, given the circumstances. For a moment they both glanced at Harry's parents, the ghosts had remained silent as the living couple made the letters. Both Harry and Hermione wondered if what waited for them was actually death, after all one can escape him for so long.

The silence in the room was heavy, within days things had changed so much. Harry looked at Hermione and took her hand in his.

'I think we should leave you alone for awhile,' James said quietly as the living couple gazed at each other's eyes. Harry and Hermione nodded as Harry's parents faded away for now and the moment the two were actually alone, they shared a passionate kiss.

They didn't want to die, not now, with their marriage and their feelings out in the open, it was unfair.

'I want you,' Hermione whispered against Harry's lips and he nodded and kissed her harder as he started caressing her body beneath the blouse. They needed a good time with each other, without the alcohol, without interruptions, they were used on doing things with death looming above their heads, they didn't even mind the Elder Wand on the coffee table as Harry moved closer to Hermione and they both fell back on the large sofa with Harry above her. Their bodies against each other as their kisses turned into domination battles.

'I love you,' Harry whispered to his wife and she smiled as she helped him take off his blouse.

'I love you too,' Hermione replied in a husky voice as Harry trailed kisses from her lips, down to her chin and reached her collarbone.

Their hands grabbed, caressed and pulled at each other closer as their clothes met the carpeted floor one by one. Soon they were dancing in a rhythm of love and passion they had danced only once before. But now it felt completely different. As their bodies met and mingled, their breathes synchronized and their voices called out each other's names, their union felt like the remaining missing piece of a puzzle, clicking into place.

It didn't matter if they died because of the Wand; they had conquered each other's soul, mind and body. All these years of loving each other so deeply now were paying off finally. Every kiss and every whisper, every movement with each other and every caress and love bite. They were finally together and this imminent threat cleared their minds completely, it was them, possibly for the second and final time and they were there for each other, not just their bodies but also their souls. With their farewells written, their destiny sealed, they moved against each other as if they were lovers for years, decades.

In a way they were, they knew each other's scars, their weak spots and their strengths, they always moved close to each other in instinct, now they were moving against each other in pleasure.

It felt good to be so close to the person you love, protected even if so vulnerable, powerful yet so fragile.

They reached pleasure together and pushed each other over the edge simultaneously. Their bodies coated with a thin layer of sweat on their skin. The room felt as if it crackled with magical energy. They remained in their embrace, Harry against Hermione with his shaggy hair slightly tickling her chin as he rested his head above her heart, covering Dolohov's scar on her ribcage. They fell in comfortable silence for a few moments.

Hermione laid one more kiss on his head, taking in his musky sense.

'I hope we survive this, making love with you is amazing,' she commented and he felt his lips forming a smug smile as he internally boasted with pride. They were in their thirties, they had their experiences, he took that in his hall of fame of achievements among the defeat of Voldemort and the World Cup.

'Likewise, wife,' he commented as he raised his head to look at her grinning face. They were mocking death by making love before the Deathstick. He loved this newly found side of Hermione, the one talking so easily about their sex life just like they talked easily about anything else. The perks of marrying your best friend, Harry guessed. He moved slightly forward and captured her lips with his.

'We need to talk to Kreacher about the letters and then start with the cellar's preparations.' Hermione informed him after their kiss ended and Harry nodded. He didn't want to move away from her.

'Can we do that in a few moments from now?' he asked while stifling a yawn, he had to admit, he still felt tired although he had slept with Hermione in his arms the night before. She yawned too and he had to admit she was very cute, especially with her eyes losing their focus by the seconds that passed. They had obviously needed to vent through their lovemaking and now a fresh wave of exhaustion was taking over.

'Yeah, I think everything can wait for awhile,' Hermione commented tiredly and Harry nodded as he brought back his head against her breast. He closed his eyes as he felt another kiss planted on the crown of his head and her breathing getting even. Her heartbeat quickly lulled him to a deep slumber, without dreams and without fears.

He felt just the afterglow of their encounter and his heart feeling for the first time in a lifetime, complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOK I hope you liked my elaboration on the Elder Wand and the explanation for its destruction, I wanted something interesting and a nice plot so I researched about it in pottermore, all names are taken from the HP wiki and some of the characters I have created like the undpeakable and the auror chief in the previous chapter are inspired by the hp wiki facts.  
> For the Elder Wand, I always wondered what Dumbledore meant by the things he had noted on the copy he gave to Hermione and I always wished to explore more of the Hallows' nature as I think their nature is severely underdeveloped.  
> What you think of my exploration of the Wand and its way to destruction? Thoughts? Suggestions? Objections?  
> Let me know and give me some love and motivation to continue though comments, thank you for reading.
> 
> CP09


	12. Counter Charms & Side Effects

_Chapter Twelve – Counter Charms & Side Effects_

Hermione's movements were silent in the forbidden section of the Hogwarts Library. The night was moon and cloudless and the stars shone outside the castle's windows.

She gathered everything, all the notes, all the books from the bookshop but still she wanted to be sure she had forgotten nothing. A book neglected could make all the difference.

So far she was moving through the chained books with empty hands, checking all of them with a scanning. On one hand she held her wand illuminating her way. Nobody was inside the place as all the students were in their dormitories. Madame Pince had retired and Hermione had been offered the job by Minerva McGonagall herself after her graduation.

Hermione had refused with a heavy heart as she had bought Flourish and Blots in her attempt to heal her wounds from the war. She had needed some time away from her beloved school in her attempt to become a functioning adult after the war. At the time she living in muggle London close to her parents and away from the spotlight had felt healthier than locking herself in the castle

Another war heroine and DA member had accepted the offer and now Hermione hoped she wouldn't stumble upon a sleepy Padma Patil as she hoped her visit would remain unnoticed by the Hogwarts staff. Permission for life into the library was one of the things Hermione had requested, abusing her power as the Heroine of the Second Wizarding War but strolling around the forbidden section in the middle of the night was a stretch of it.

She stopped before a chained volume at the end of a shelf and looked at the worn spine of it, beneath the title and name of author, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows existed.

_The Guide of Blood Magic and Curses by Gellert Grindelwald._

Hermione set her wand to float in midair by her head and stretched her hands for the volume. With a wandless spell and a gesture of her hand the chains loosened around the book and she was able to open it.

She remembered that book; she had read all the books of the forbidden section ever since she had gotten permission. Not many young people knew that Gellert Grindelwald had actually authored books. It was forbidden for his limited volumes were published after the end of the Global Wizarding War in 1945 and the ministries around the world had made sure to destroy his work. Only few selected copies remained in guarded libraries, one of them was the Hogwarts Library. This one particularly was not only good at countering curses at an advanced level with the power of magical blood, it was also written in the actual blood of the author…

Hermione opened the heavy leather-bound cover and read the page before the contents list.

_To Educate_

_To Empower_

_To Conquer_

Grindelwald's handwriting was delicate and Hermione took a deep breath before she could move on to the next page. Her heart was pounding, the book itself was radiating with magic.

_Contents_

_To control a loved one_

_Sexual domination and punishment_

_To breed and conceive a perfect magical child_

_Protect your family against enemies_

_Master objects that cannot be mastered_

_To transfer magical diseases through blood_

_Turn your enemies' blood against them_

_How to infect an impure family_

_Muggle blood diseases that can be used to kill Muggles_

Hermione moved through the full pages and for a moment she wondered how Grindelwald had spent so much blood using it as ink and shuddered at the thought. She got to the chapter about protection and mastering objects. She had read the book years ago and now hoped it would help her somehow. Being married to Harry meant that potentially their blood would be shared in a child, these spells were "ideal" for couples of magical nature. She took her wand and performed a copying spell twice for the chapters she cared about, tucking the parchments in her robes. It was actually illegal to copy books from the Forbidden section but no one would know. She shut the book closed and chained it again before she could put it back in its place.

'Ms Granger or should I rather call you Mrs. Potter, give me one reason for you strolling around the Forbidden Section of the Library, in the middle of the night and copying books of dark magic.' McGonagall's voice made Hermione's stomach drop and snap her head at the direction of her teacher.

'Good evening, Professor,' Hermione finally responded with a sheepish smile, she could feel her cheeks burning in embarrassment before her favorite and most respected teacher.

Minerva McGonagall regarded her most beloved student for a moment with a strict face. The years and the wars the Hogwarts Headmistress had experienced were evident as her wand's illuminated her face. However the professor's eyes had softened as she looked at her old student approaching her.

'Kingsley talked to me,' McGonagall informed Hermione and she sighed and looked at the older witch in her robes.

'Did you also know about the wand?' Hermione asked, fearful of the answer Minerva would give her, being betrayed by the ministry wasn't a first, however betrayal from matriarchic figures hard more. The older witch shook her head in denial.

'The ministry had reassured me they would put the Elder Wand back in Albus' tomb with extra protective charms. At the time, I had to take care of so many things in restoring Hogwarts and making it safe, students held grudges against each other because of the sides that had been taken on the 2nd of May in 1998. Kingsley was a friend and Order of the Phoenix co-member, the ministry was under his rule and I hoped he would do what had been asked from Harry. I was naïve to believe the ministry's deep system wouldn't interfere but I was also very busy for Hogwarts to be a safe place by September 1st of that year.' McGonagall explained and Hermione sighed and nodded. After the end of the final battle, everything had been so hectic and the months had passed to the start of the term in blinks of the eye. Nobody had thought a lot about the ministry's alliances because everyone was exhausted and damaged.

'I want you to know that Kingsley had an earful about it, if that makes any difference to you and Harry.' Minerva added and Hermione gave a small smile and nodded.

'It makes a huge difference.' Hermione finally added and Minerva's eyes filled with tears of concern, her hand moved on Hermione's shoulder in a motherly gesture.

'Congratulations on getting married, I wish it had happened under better circumstances.' The professor added and Hermione took a deep breath and touched the other witch's hand, she always loved McGonagall like a mother.

'You thought it would happen?' Hermione asked with curiosity and McGonagall actually chuckled through her tears.

'Oh I  _hoped_ it would happen, my dear,' she replied and the young woman laughed. 'My experience allowed me to see that you wouldn't end up with Mr. Weasley but I was afraid the years would pass and you and Harry wouldn't open your eyes. The front page of the  _Prophet_  with your marriage plastered all over it was the second happiest moment after the winning of the World Cup of course.' Minerva added and winked at Hermione who laughed again and nodded her head. 'Tell me how I can help,' the professor offered and Hermione shook her head in denial.

'Harry and I will take care of it, don't worry,' Hermione reassured her teacher bravely and Minerva looked at her with cloudy eyes.

'Is he managing well with Lily and James around? They can't stay forever in their current form…' Minerva asked and Hermione looked at her in shock. 'I told you, Hermione, Kingsley talked to me,' the elder witch added and Hermione sighed and ran her free hand through her hair in frustration. 'He knew you'd end up here and he wanted you to have some help.' She added and Hermione sighed.

'Harry is doing his best, like I am, with the new issues and Kingsley has done more harm than good.' Hermione replied and Minerva sighed and nodded her head. 'James and Lily are also trying not to cling on us because they know they will harm us if it gets too much,' Hermione added and Minerva's eyes filled with tears again. 'But they are happy with these days and cherish every moment they have with Harry. They're doing their best to say all the things that have been left unsaid.' Hermione added instinctively trying to make her favorite teacher feel better.

'I haven't made it to get you a wedding present,' Minerva said suddenly and Hermione actually laughed, nothing had happened traditionally with hers and Harry's wedding, a list was never planned, a wedding was never planned either.

'It's ok, let me go with these two copies from the book and I consider it the best gift,' Hermione replied and McGonagall took a shaky breath.

'Let me help somehow, let me take care of the Deathstick,' she offered and this time Hermione felt her own eyes watering. She was no fool, McGonagall was old, with her life lived through, a disarming charm could make her the new Mistress of the Wand, but it wouldn't be enough, she didn't know all the things Hermione and Harry had discovered about it.

They were the ones to do it and they were the only ones able to finish the job that lasted so many centuries. However, Minerva's offer was incredibly touching. Hermione moved closer and the two witches hugged like a mother and daughter would do.

'Thank you, but we'll make it; we've found a way to destroy it for sure, after we find the Stone.' Hermione lied to her teacher and Minerva broke the hug and looked at her old student with hope in her eyes. Hermione felt uneasy as she smiled bravely and nodded in fake confirmation to try to make the older woman happier than she currently was. She could see the past was evident on the old woman's shoulders, Hermione could see McGonagall wasn't up to lose more young people under her watch while she remained alive. 'The less you know, the better but we'll make it.' Hermione added, and Minerva nodded frantically. Hermione knew people sometimes hoped to listen to what they wanted and this was why she made it to lie to one of the most powerful witches alive.

'I need to go back,' Hermione said after a moment, avoiding to say where exactly, indeed the less McGonagall knew, the best it would be. 'I promise we'll visit after everything is over,' Hermione added with guilt boiling inside her, what if she couldn't keep her promise to her teacher. McGonagall nodded and took a step back from her student.

'I hope to see you two soon,' Minerva finally said and Hermione smiled and nodded 'Please remember, Hermione, you're freshly married, your magic is combined with Harry, every spell you two cast in unison will be empowered by your magical bond for the next weeks, be careful,' Minerva advised and Hermione nodded and finally said her goodbyes and moved away and out of the library.

Her steps got faster as she moved outside the castle and out to the grounds. The marble tomb of Dumbledore was evident even in the moonless night and she sighed as she moved towards the gates. Hagrid's shack was dark; he was probably asleep or in the Forbidden Forest. The forest Harry had thrown the Stone in, the forest he had faced death alone. Hermione's heart was only getting heavier, she hadn't had the time to process everything that happened to them but she could feel the unfairness of it all suffocating her.

While she was a teenager, being in danger had become second nature just as helping Harry was as easy as breathing. She never thought of how unfair was for them to be in all this. But after the war, she had spent years with almost no fear, as time melted away from the Hogwarts Battle, their enemies had been captured, the retaliation of them had been countered and everyone had spent good years with almost no worries, almost no nightmares.

They had been free to live away from danger, Harry had become a Quidditch player and she had earned her position in the community not only as a heroine but also a businesswoman with her successful bookshop. Now they were thrown back in danger and this time there was no order, no ministry and no Dumbledore to help them, once again it was just the two of them, stripped of their only chance to live happily together as a married couple. Even their accidental marriage had led them before the position of the two only people able to destroy the Elder Wand.

The tears that ran down Hermione's cheeks as she apparated away from Hogwarts, were tears of frustration.

The wards of Grimmauld allowed only the masters of the house in. She had informed Harry she'd go to Hogwarts for a final check on the books and he had taken it upon himself to set up the cellar with spells and incantations of protection. The house had to withstand their experiments in its foundations. She had apparated in the bedroom they shared on the upper floor and she could immediately feel the added energy of the spells bellow.

'Harry! I'm home!' She called out but got no answer, maybe he was too busy with spells. Home, yes Grimmauld was her home now, a beautiful home she had helped redecorate. Her taste matched Harry's and the house felt familiar and comforting, surprisingly more comforting than Hogwarts at the moment.

'Harry has used a blocking charm on the cellar,' Lily's voice was soft as she informed Hermione of Harry's lack of response. 'Would you like some company?' She asked shyly as Hermione took away her tears with her sleeve in a hurry.

'Yes of course, I would love some, actually,' Hermione replied truthfully and Lily smiled as she looked at the tearful witch. Hermione had comforted Minerva by lying to her, she felt like needing some comfort herself, even with soft lies.

'It's ok, dear,' Lily tried to sooth the young witch as Hermione sat at the edge of the bed she shared with Harry for the past nights. At the corner of the room, there was a huge pile of books on the desk along with pieces of parchments and notes Hermione had gathered for their attempt to destroy the Wand. Lily's semi transparent form moved closer and sat where she had been a couple of days ago, while talking with Harry. 'I never thanked you for keeping Harry alive all those times in the past, Hermione,' Lily confessed a few moments later and Hermione looked at her dead mother-in-law with a sad smile.

'No need, Mrs. Potter, please, helping him was like a reflex for me,' Hermione replied in a more matter of fact voice and Lily smiled but shook her head.

'You were there when no one else was, you didn't just help, you saved him in so many occasions.' Lily added, and Hermione smiled. 'After my death, I had hoped all these powerful people that used to be around me and James would help my son. Instead, I watched from my grave my son being abused for a decade, the most delicate decade of his life. Then I found solace in a little muggleborn girl that put her life in danger by her mere blood status on helping my poor helpless lad survive every year while all the powerful friends of mine avoided the responsibility.' Lily added and Hermione took a deep breath, she felt proud, as indeed she was the one to keep the Boy who Lived on his own two feet. 'You've been so brave, sweetheart,' Lily used the words she had used for her own child, Hermione knew as Harry had told her years ago about what happened before his confrontation with Voldemort. She wished everything had been healed inside her heart as fresh tears filled her eyes at the ghost's words. Recognition from Harry's mother was kind of atonement for her.

'I'm really sorry you didn't get your chance to grow old and raise Harry, Mrs. Potter,' Hermione confessed tearfully and Lily smiled and nodded.

'Don't be, sweetheart, it was our choice to enter the Order, it was our chance to have Harry even in the time of War, we wanted our son, and it was my choice not to step aside as Voldemort told me to as to get to my boy. I knew from the moment we went into hiding that we'd die.' Lily revealed to Hermione and the living witch looked at the ghost in surprise.

'I didn't believe Peter would betray us but I knew that somehow, we would die. It was why I cast the spell on Harry, it was why I stood up to Voldemort. The moment of my death was in my mind for a long time before it actually happened.' Lily added and Hermione took a deep breath. 'And speaking of the spell I cast on Harry…James taught him to cast a spell we had invented and used at Godric's.  _Concipio_  is an absorbing spell we had made in case we were attacked, only the house would take the damage but everyone alive inside would live through the damage. It's why the entire neighborhood survived that night and our house didn't collapse on Harry after my own sacrificial protection spell rebounded on Voldemort's killing curse.' Lily explained and Hermione listened carefully. She had wondered for years how the rebounded Avada Kedavra had Voldemort into pieces but the rest of the house had only gotten damaged on Harry's bedroom and that partially.

'You think we should cast on each other the spell you used on Harry?' Hermione asked and Lily nodded.

'It's easy to cast, the hardest part is to volunteer to die but you're already in to that by keeping everyone away and stepping willingly in that cellar with the Elder Wand against you.' Lily explained and Hermione sighed and nodded. 'Harry has already cast  _Concipio_  in the cellar and the rest of the house, the absorbing charm will keep the house in its place no matter what. But I can't be sure what the sacrificial protection spell will act like against the Elder Wand. It's a good thing you two are freshly married as it works its best for mother-children and newlyweds.' Lily explained and Hermione nodded her head.

'But as far as I know the spell you used is ancient blood magic, Harry and I are not blood connected yet,' Hermione noted and Lily nodded.

'You will just have to break the skin of your left palms and hold hands; it will be enough for the magic to be activated.' Lily explained and Hermione nodded her head. They had nothing to lose; on the contrary, from all the books she had searched through this was one of the best weapons they'd equip against the Wand.

There was a knock on the door before it could open; Harry smiled as he saw his best friend and wife talking with his mother. A moment he thought would never happen.

'Sorry for interrupting,' he said sheepishly but his eyes clouded with worry as he noticed Hermione's tears on her face. 'What happened?' he asked immediately as he moved further inside the room. Hermione stood up and moved closer to him, he opened his arms for her as she flung herself in his arms in her Hermionish way. Harry looked at his mother in concern over his wife's shoulder.

'Everything is ok, just one of the rare occasions the Brightest Witch of her Age has a small weak moment,' Lily replied his son's question as Harry kissed the crown of Hermione's head and looked at her, she nodded reassuringly.

'I'm ok,' she only replied and Harry nodded and kissed her lips. He knew she was tensed, he was tense himself and his time in the cellar with the Wand close by was taunting, he wouldn't lie, he always felt awful seeing Hermione cry. 'Your mother has an amazing idea,' Hermione added to take his mind away from her tears but Harry nodded.

'I know, Dad taught me their absorbing spell and I used it so we can use the sacrificial protection on us.' Harry replied and Hermione nodded. 'That's why I came here; dad had decided to help while mum would talk with you about it.' Harry added and Hermione smiled, they weren't the only couple that functioned easily, James and Lily knew how to communicate and help people even in the afterlife.

'The easy part, as I was saying to Hermione, is to mix your blood and cast the spell. The hard part is to voluntarily face death and put each other before yourselves but I guess this is easy for you two.' Lily repeated and Harry and Hermione smiled and nodded. Harry took the wand out of its jean pocket and Hermione moved forward her left hand, with his right hand he cast with precision a cutting charm on each of their left hands – the hands closer to the heart-. They flinched at the pain as they held hands, their fingers intertwined; the blood crawled down their wrists to their sleeves.

'You're ready, simply hug each other protectively and close your eyes. See with your mind's eyes your body shielding each other and dying for each other. Think of the incantation  _Amorus Ultimum_.' Lily explained and the two did as they were requested.

They hugged each other tightly, their bodies fitting perfectly, all the embraces they shared, the happy memory of last night's encounter along the bliss they felt around each other for the past two decades filled their hearts as they closed their eyes. In an embrace very familiar to the one they had given in Hogwarts before Harry could confront Voldemort.

' _I'll go with You,'_ the memory drifted away as they both focused at the task at hand. Hermione used her imagination to see the two of them while using the wand, the Deathstick glowed green and Hermione used her body to shield Harry. Her body was falling lifeless on the floor as he had survived the attack.

Harry kept Hermione in his arms as with his own mind saw them before the Wand. There was a red flash of light and he was moving before his best friend and wife, protecting her, repaying her for all the times she suffered for him. He saw himself falling as she was standing, the only survivor of the two.

The experience was powerful as they both "saw" their ultimate sacrifice, they both preferred to die rather than see the other fall. As they remained hugged for a few moments more, they felt warmth in the middle of their chests, coursing through their veins and ending in a gasp of air. For a moment, they could hear a pounding sound and they realized their hearts were beating as one.

'I think we made it.' Harry whispered and Hermione nodded and hid her face on his chest. She was shaken by the experience as much as he was. They took a few more moments in their embrace; Lily remained silent by their side with the slightest of smiles on her face.

'Now that the sacrificial protection is cast from both of you, I think you will be strong enough to destroy the Deathstick, being newlyweds is an added bonus on our side.' Lily said reassuringly at the couple and Hermione remembered what McGonagall had told her before.

'Minerva told me whatever we might do; especially with blood magic might have side effects.' Hermione told Harry who nodded and gave her a soft kiss, he felt reassured now that he had cast the spell his mother had protected him with. He felt powerful.

'There is only one way to discover the side effects.' Harry said as if he had read Hermione's mind who nodded immediately. They broke their hug, kept their blooded hands connected and moved out of their bedroom and down the stairs, all the way to the kitchen and from there to the entrance of the cellar. Kreacher showed up along Crookshanks and the ghosts of his parents.

'Kreacher, you know what to do with the letters we gave you, in case things go wrong,' Harry confirmed with the house elf which nodded and bowed. They had agreed Kreacher would pop in and out of the cellar every twenty four hours to check on them and bring water and food within the thirty seconds Harry had allowed to the wards to keep the elf in for its own protection. Kreacher had been through a lot in his life at Grimmauld and Harry wanted the minimum exposure of him in danger.

'Yes, Master Potter, Kreacher has prepared everything for the following days.' The elf confirmed and Harry nodded as Hermione smiled at Crookshanks. 'Mistress Potter, Kreacher will take care of the cat, do not fear.' Kreacher added as he noticed Hermione's attention to hers –and the Potters' –pet.

'The moment we know where the Stone is, we'll get out of the cellar and go find it, until then, do not enter the cellar, please,' Harry addressed his parents who nodded in unison, it was what he had agreed with them while Hermione was away. The Wand would use every little weakness of its Masters to attack them and the Stone was activated for too long already.

'Don't worry son, no matter what we hear or sense from in there, we won't interfere.' James reassured his son and daughter-in-law. 'Take care, guys, destroy that thing,' he added and the couple smiled and nodded.

'Remember, you're blood-bound now, whatever one does affect the other,' Lily added and the two nodded, the spell was already helping with the magical wound in their hands. Only now, Harry could feel the difference of the spell being reactivated on him, magic had flavors and this one was different as it was cast by Hermione but deep in his heart he could feel it working like his mother's spell used to work perfectly before fourth year and Voldemort breaking through it. Only the people experienced with advanced magic could feel the differences and he and Hermione were two of them.

'Thank you, for everything,' Harry finally said to his parents and they smiled. He wasn't sure how much they'd have after they discover the Stone. Maybe there wouldn't be a lot of time to say their goodbyes once the user of the Stone was revealed. Many things had been said between him and his parents but there would always be a huge gap in their relationship.

'We love you both very much,' Lily replied and the couple smiled and nodded. All four of them hoped they wouldn't meet on the other side very soon.

Harry opened the cellar's door while holding Hermione by the hand and the two moved down the few stairs to the main underground chamber. The cellar door closed and locked behind them.

Hermione had to admire Harry's spell work. There was a massive fireplace to keep them as warm as possible and he had charmed it for the fire not to burn everything in case something happened with the most destructive of the elements. It was also blocked from the floo network and the communication system.

Harry had removed all the bottles of elfwines, firewishkey and floo powder they kept in the cellar for years, the old furniture, and the expensive foods Kreacher had down there to mature with time. There was a lot of space to move around. The walls were charmed with James'  _Concipio_ , protecting them in case the couple was thrown against the brick walls with force, avoiding the possibility of breaking their bones from the fall.

The floor was charmed to keep the temperature normal and on one side there was a small space for Kreacher to apparate in, leave food and water in a hatch on the ground and apparate out again. The ceiling was magically adjusted to breathe in to the cellar fresh air and to spray water in case of a fire. The room was carefully illuminated; enough to see but not too much to exhaust the two in case they spent days and nights in the cellar. There was a double mattress on the corner and Hermione could feel there were spells on it to prevent it from getting burnt, wet or destroyed by spells. At the center of the room, there was a stone table, engraved with protective runes and sigils and charmed to remain on the floor with the small closed wooden box of the Elder Wand in it.

Hermione looked at Harry in admiration of his work in the cellar; they had spent the entire day with her researching the last details and him preparing the place.

'You've done an amazing job, Harry,' Hermione praised her best friend and husband and he smiled as he shrugged, he still had that boyish behavior she loved in him every time he was praised about something.

'I performed the spells we used to perform in the tent during the Hunt, plus some we learned in our seventh year, plus some I knew could be useful.' Harry simply said and Hermione smiled, she could feel every charm protecting, blocking, keeping safe and warm the two of them inside the cellar. Also she could detect the new spell cast upon her and coursing through her veins, it was probably the most powerful spell she had ever felt upon her, certainly the most ancient of them all. She only hoped it would be enough before the Deathstick.

Without saying a word, they both moved closer to the table stone with the Wand on it.

'We should open it and touch it at the same time, if nothing happens, we can use it to detect the Stone first.' Hermione said quietly and Harry nodded. With a flick of his own wand, the box clicked open and the lid of it fell on the table. The Elder Wand laid on a velvet pillow inside the box. The couple of friends and spouses felt the energy in the room crackling; it was the spells around them, the spell  _in_ them, the Elder Wand and their own risen levels of magic. They could feel how powerful they were, as much as the Wand before them. Their body temperature rose as the Masters of Death had to confront their main Hallow. The Wand felt as if vibrating in its case although it was physically unmoving, it knew they wouldn't be easy to take down. Harry put his own wand back in his pocket. The couple tightened the hold of their hands as they both reached for the wand and without hesitation, touched the base simultaneously.

For a moment, nothing happened. They touched the elder wood with their fingers. Breaking the barrier of the wand's magical field, it was back in the rightful hands of its master and mistress.

As the bright flash of white light exploded against them, the couple moved closer to each other in an instant shielding each other. The force of the explosion hit them sideways and hurled them against the wall across the room. The couple broke their hold on their hands only when their bodies hit the charmed wall and fell on the floor with a thud.

They both groaned in pain as they struggled to stand up and check on each other and their own bodies. Their wounded hands were bleeding more after the fall and their backs and legs were sore by the impact but they had survived worse than that.

' _That went well,'_ Hermione though as she groaned and stood up with effort while Harry did the same and rubbed the back of his neck in pain. They had been thrown at least fifteen feet away from the stone table.

' _At least we didn't break our necks,'_ Harry thought as he regarded Hermione for any serious injuries. She seemed sore but her eyes were wide as she looked at him.

' _Or our heads,'_ Hermione's voice was heard inside his head but not in the way his consciousness' voice was usually echoing with her tone. This time her voice was clear, as if she had used her lips to speak.

' _No way!'_ Harry thought, and Hermione's eyes widened even more -if that was possible- and covered her lips with her fingers.

'No bloody way!' she physically exclaimed and Harry remained silent.

' _You can hear my thoughts,'_ Harry used his inner voice and Hermione gasped, the sensation all new to them.

' _Loud and clear,'_ she sent back internally and Harry took a deep breath. If he closed his eyes he wouldn't be able to tell if she used her lips or her brain to communicate.

'How did this happen?' Harry asked this time using words, he was shocked to say the least but he wasn't sure he felt uncomfortable with the new link of telepathy established between them. It felt unfamiliar to share a part of your brain with another person but contrary to his previous awful experience with Occlumency and Legilimancy with Snape, the link –because it felt like a link, like a thread between the couple- felt easier to maintain and smoother in the mind's touch.

'I'm not sure _…'_ Hermione said but trailed off in her attempt to grasp the new concept.  _'We are married, there are spells of nourishing a marriage, we deeply love each other, and we're emotionally attached to each other, before the Elder Wand which works with emotions. McGonagall told me about the possible side-effects. We got ourselves deeply bound through blood by actually mixing our blood with each other… We cast powerful spells on us, based on love …. I think we are reaching new limits of magic within a magical marriage of two very powerful people….'_ Harry could hear the rest of her thoughts and nodded to himself. It somehow felt easier to send thoughts through the link rather than speaking, even if they were comfortable before each other like with no other person, this link was deeper and faster.

' _Have you read anything like that before? In some book? About a couple getting to this level of magic?'_ Harry asked without speaking and Hermione shook her head.

' _I have read about establishing telepathic links, which is no easy task in itself. It needs an expert level of Occlumency and Legilimency on both sides. It requires the two people to be prepared to send and receive the message, to open the mind, get the message and then close the mind to protect it. This link between us doesn't feel like it needs a door to open and close to work with breaks. It feels like a bridge connecting our minds. However, I don't think it has to do with our brains only, but also our hearts and feelings.'_ Hermione sent back and Harry nodded and realized every time he heard her voice his chest felt a tiny bit warmer than when she wasn't sending anything. They weren't sharing only thoughts, the link allowed tiny bits of feelings between each other as well, he was feeling Hermione's love, only from her side, right from her heart.

' _This is too deep,'_ Harry sent back, unable to say something more and Hermione smiled while he heard her internal chuckle.

' _I don't know what you feel from my side but I feel warmth every time you send something, like a vibration right at my heart.'_ Hermione sent through the link and Harry touched his chest with his undamaged hand.  _'I hope our hearts can physically bear this, and I mean the actual organs. Magical anatomy is a very complicated thing, same stands for our brains.'_ Hermione sent after a moment more and Harry moved closer.

'It feels very natural, nonetheless,' Harry used speech this time, hoping to make her feel less concerned about this new link of theirs. He didn't want to risk her heart or her brain no matter how natural and warm it felt to communicate with her thus.

'It does, but we need to be careful with it, especially with the Wand before us. Maybe it triggered the link to feed from our emotions at the same time. I'm not sure if it was the combination from our marriage, the spells and our love that created the link or if it was something the Wand created to get to us.' Hermione explained, her mind racing with the possibilities. She couldn't deny it, the link felt amazing while using it but they were locked in a cellar with the Wand of Destiny with them, they needed to be careful.

'You're right,' Harry whispered softly and caressed the bruise that was quickly forming on her cheek, wandlessly healing it. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes at the moment of peace between them, their wounded hands finding each other in a lock, a moment later there was a small glow between their palms and when they withdrew their hands and looked at their palms, the slashes from Harry's cutting spell were healed. Their bond was preserving each other not only wandlessly but also  _unconsciously_...  _'Wow...I love magic… our magic.'_ Harry sent through, unable to resist the pull of the link to be used. Yes, maybe it was a trap of the Elder Wand, maybe its previous masters got weakened by such tricks of the damn thing.

But Harry felt like this wasn't the case. The Deathstick wouldn't want them so deeply connected against it. This telepathic link was something unique to share magic, thoughts and feelings, made by the two of them. Their relationship as friends counted decades and as spouses, counted days, yet they were standing before each other, bound by love, protected and preserved by it.

Harry knew this link of love was their actual weapon against the Wand of Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello everybody! I hope you liked my work, I wanted to delve further into extensive and advanced magic like the one I assume the Hallows would have, comments are love!  
> CP09


	13. Advanced Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, I am very glad I made this update, HUGE thanks to Marla1 not only for her amazing and speedy betaing but also all her support.
> 
> Enjoy...

 

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen- Advanced Magic_

Kreacher showed up in the cellar two times over. Harry and Hermione had agreed with the elf that he would be showing up every morning at ten. That meant they were in the cellar for a couple of days already.

All they had achieved was to injure themselves and trigger every magical wound they had suffered during the war. The only scar that didn't hurt was the one on Harry's forehead. The last time the elf had showed up was hours ago, the couple assumed it must be nighttime. Being locked up in a cellar was the easiest way to lose track of time.

'It's not working!' Harry called out through his gritted teeth as he tried to keep the spell active against the Elder Wand. He was feeling his energy giving in after so many failed attempts with different spells. Their wands were pointing at the Deathstick with silver threads connecting them to it. They just tried a penetrating charm Hermione had taught Harry to use.

'Keep trying, Harry!' Hermione said with effort as she held her wand with both hands, the beam of light bursting from the tip of her wand becoming stronger as she tried harder.

The silver threads snapped and bounced on the charmed walls of the cellar with a clank that echoed through the place and had both Harry and Hermione take a step backwards. Hermione groaned as she moved the back of her hand against her nostrils, her sleeve was soon stained with drops of blood that ran down her nose. They were exhausted, pale and angry.

'Are you alright?' Harry asked in worry and Hermione took a deep breath and nodded.

'I'm fine,' she assured him curtly. The Wand was getting to them little by little; the more they fought the urge to use it the more it triggered their exhaustion and discomfort.

'We must use the link, Hermione,' Harry suggested once again and she looked at him in annoyance. They had been through this in the past two days. The Wand was toying with their feelings,  _feeding_  on them, causing them to overreact to every stimulation. Since the Wand had tossed them across the room they had decided not to touch it yet, not to give it the physical contact it craved. At the same time not giving in their own need to touch it was becoming unbearable.

They had temporarily agreed not to use the link, which was another struggle on its own accord as it felt comforting and soothing. Hermione insisted the Elder Wand would feed on them faster and devour them. While Harry believed they needed a more immediate approach with it, through the link and right in its core to detect the Stone. They had ended up on agreeing to try all the spells Hermione believed would work and the link would be a last resort solution. So far, they had every magical wound aching and Hermione withering faster than Harry. He was sure it was the repeated Cruciatus curse that had been cast on his wife and best friend by Bellatrix Lestrange that the Wand used against her. He was also afraid of the mark on her chest from Dolohov that now was red and swollen. They never found what kind of curse that was as he had been muted but Harry couldn't take out the image of it piercing through her chest out of his head.

Magic had layers and flavors, curses especially lingered for years and now they were coming to get them as they were retriggered by the Wand and their own abuse of their magical powers. They had cast more than fifteen advanced spells already and nothing positive happened.

'Stop thinking of the past, the Wand feeds on our fears and memories.' Hermione instructed as she took another breath through her nostrils and touched her chest in pain. They might have tried to block the link but it worked just fine. Even if Hermione didn't want to accept it, it felt like it was widening little by little, allowing them to share their emotions apart from their thoughts.

'And no, we're not using it yet; maybe the wand is enlarging the link to drive us mad.' Hermione added sternly and this time Harry felt his own anger rising.

'You drive me mad with your denial to use the only weapon we might have against it, Hermione,' He replied curtly to her orders and she looked at him with piercing eyes.

'We still have options others than the link, Harry,' she snapped back and he rolled his eyes.

'Options like?' Harry challenged and Hermione took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose with her hand, the bleeding stopped but the headache that was pounding on her temples was making her dizzy.

'Like Grindelwald's blood spells.' Hermione suggested weakly, making Harry snort in annoyance as he approached her, no matter their fight he felt he had to be closer to her.

'Oh yes, lets bleed out while trying a forbidden dark spell of no one else but Grindelwald's who by-the-way was a Master of the Wand himself…. That will go  _exceptionally_  well, I am sure.' Harry retorted angrily this time, Hermione glared at him.

'Stop jumping down my throat, Harry! We'll exhaust every possibility before we use a link that hasn't been established before between magical people. I don't want to end up in vegetable state!' Hermione raised her voice slightly, not able to calm herself, the room was charged with magical energy and her exhaustion was allowing her to lose her temper.

'We'll both end up  _dead_  if we keep up like this, Hermione!' Harry argued back, his own voice raising. A part of him told him to stop as she seemed weakening by the minute but another part told him to push her to see his point of view. She was the logical one but she had became quiet illogical with this entire vain attempt to explore the wand from the outside.

'You think I want us to die?' Hermione asked in anger this time and Harry groaned, great, now they were simply bickering.

'I think we need to focus on a different approach,' Harry tried but Hermione's eyes were full of anger.

'You're obsessed with the link,' Hermione retorted and Harry glared at his wife.

'And you're too stubborn not to use it,' Harry snapped. 'Ignoring that it's working anyway!' he added angrily and Hermione shook her head. The room was humming with energy. The Wand's absorption powers were radiating as it fed on their feelings and physical pain. Hermione grabbed her wand and only for an instant, Harry through she'd hex him, she cast an insulation charm around the Elder Wand engulfing it in a humming bubble.

It wasn't completely successful, given the power of the Hallow but they felt some relief immediately. Calmness, less pain, their bodies felt cooler, the throbbing inside their veins slowed, their minds cleared. Harry moved even closer and hugged his wife tightly.

'Better?' she asked against and Harry nodded as he kissed her shoulder.

'Loads,' he answered with a word and rubbed her back. Her muscles were stiff. He knew he wasn't in better shape. His hand where Umbridge's cursed pen had tore on his skin throbbed, the place where the locket had attached itself on his own chest felt hot and his own body hurt as he had been cursed and hexed through the years. Having received twice the killing curse hadn't killed him but now the Wand was using every weak spot of theirs against them and they had many.

'I fucking hate this thing,' Hermione added and Harry despite of the situation, chuckled and looked at her.

'I think this is the first time I heard you swear like that,' Harry admitted and Hermione actually smiled at him. She hadn't smiled in the past couple of days and this helped improve his spirits. He could detect a tiny reddish scar on her throat, where Bellatrix's magical dagger had broken the skin. He saw her arm had the reddish scar where  _Mudblood_ had been engraved by the same dagger.

'This is the first time I feel like this,' Hermione admitted in her turn and Harry nodded.

'Like what?' he asked, wanting her to vent.

'Like shit,' she added and he chuckled again, the Wand definitely affected her. He hugged her again and felt her shivering against him. He felt a cold grip of worry around his heart. Carrying the locket felt like an easy task before being locked up in the cellar with the Elder Wand against them.

'Lets lay down for awhile, it must be night anyway.' Harry suggested and Hermione gave a weak nod. They moved to the mattress he had prepared for them and helped her lay down first before he could collapse by her side. He opened his arm for her to come closer to him. Her head rested on his chest, she fit perfectly in his arms as she snuggled closer.

'What other spell, we can use? Apart from Grindelwald's blood spells.' he asked and Hermione took a few moments to reply, he knew they were running out of options but he wanted to show her he valued her plan. Even if it seemed to be reaching a fruitless end.

'We can try a decoding charm, I've learned it from a book,' Hermione suggested and Harry sighed and kissed her head. Like in their fourth year, before the first task, Hermione had spent the past two days teaching him advanced spells Hermione knew and they had tried on the Wand. Every time, the Deathstick lashed out against them. Harry was afraid this would continue until they touched it. Magical objects had this kind of settlement with their owners. For now it only dodged every attempt of theirs to look through its barriers as if they were attacking it.

'I am afraid we need to actually use the wand to find the Stone, Hermione.' Harry noted and felt her sighing. He was too exhausted to fight with her but it was clear they were just wearing themselves off while approaching it on the surface.

'I know,' she replied to his surprise, she admitted he was right; however, as he felt her shivering again he could only hug her tighter to himself. The mattress was enchanted to be warm and wandlessly he charmed it to become a little warmer.

'Sleep, it's engulfed in your spell for now.' Harry whispered and she didn't even nod as she was already asleep in his arms.

He knew it was also the Wand that triggered this but he couldn't stop feeling guilty and trapped. He was literally trapped in the cellar, his damn destiny had led them to this. He wasn't sure how he felt about Dumbledore luring them in another suicide mission. The headmaster of Hogwarts had led Harry to Voldemort through the Horcruxes, he only hoped to kill the Dark Lord to end up against the Hallows next, with Hermione by his side.

Maybe that's why Dumbledore mentioned only Hermione at King's Cross in his in-between- state Harry had found himself in, right after Voldemort attacked him in the forest.

Harry felt anger rising inside him as he realized he had been sent like a pig to slaughter twice and the second time Hermione had been doomed too. Dumbledore was smart, he knew Harry and Hermione would find each other; all he had to do was to pass them the responsibility. After all, heroes are consumable.

" _You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from Death. He accepts that he must die, and understands that there are far, far worse things in the living world than dying."_ Dumbledore's words echoed in his head.

Along the anger, Harry felt the urge to use the Elder Wand, anger and power, this was the way to find the Stone. He felt his blood boiling in need and fury, the Deathstick was calling. The Master had every right to use his possessions. The person that stole the Stone would pay for using it against him.

He tried to move but Hermione was clutching at his blouse in her sleep. The link was allowing calmness and need from her to flow between them. Harry took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes with his hands. It was the Wand blinding him, luring him to it. He could feel the attraction, the sense of it. He took a deep breath and hugged Hermione tighter.

Dumbledore was also right about one thing, Harry was hot tempered, easy for the Elder Wand to lure and allow the abuse of its power. Hermione was there to stop this, Dumbledore had entrusted the Tales of the Bard and the ultimate solution with Hermione, Ron had received the deluminator for his own path from and back to them, however it had nothing to do with the Hallows. It was Harry and Hermione who had to find a way through them. Hermione was the key for Harry's salvation.

'Don't leave,' Hermione mumbled in her sleep, her pale skin worried him, scared him. Maybe it wasn't a smart move to lock themselves in the cellar with the Deathstick.

'I'm not going anywhere, I promise,' he reassured her in a low voice and kissed her forehead. Hermione was a powerful witch; she had proved that through the years. Harry remembered how he had shielded her against the attack of Remus Lupin when he had transformed, or how Greyback wanted to bite her as he had tendencies on cannibalism. Harry cringed as he hugged her closer to him, he couldn't lose her after so many times she avoided death herself. Dolohov had cursed her yet she hadn't destroyed him when she had the chance. Lestrange had cursed her repeatedly with the Cruciatus and Hermione survived. She had been through so much.

'I am fine, Harry,' Hermione murmured as she opened her eyes. He wasn't sure how long she slept and he remained there, frozen against her, drowning in his fear of losing her. 'The link is allowing all your agony in,' Hermione explained as she rested on her elbow to look at him. He was pale, the black circles under his eyes so evident. He was sweaty and tired, his eyes clouded with fear.

'I'm so sorry,' Harry whispered and Hermione shook her head.

'It's ok, get some sleep,' she tried but he shook his head.

'I'm so sorry for all the things you've been through because of me,' Harry replied in desperation and Hermione sighed and pointed her wand against the Elder Wand, in her sleep her charm had weakened. The "noise" from the Deathstick fell short again. She looked at Harry and touched his cheek with her hand before she could give him a kiss on the lips.

'I love you very much and Harry it was all my choice,' Hermione replied with the truth and smiled at him. 'Try to sleep my dear.' Hermione added and Harry took a shaky breath as a tear ran down his temple into his hair, she kissed him again. 'I will take care of the nightmares. I will chase away the demons my Love.' Hermione reassured him, and Harry nodded as he finally allowed his eyes to close. He hadn't slept well for the past nights; the Wand was giving him harder nightmares that it did with her. She suffered more while awake, he struggled instead of resting.

She didn't wish to do so but she opened the link wider for her to connect with him in his sleep. She didn't like to admit so but in the short timeframe of two days, they could reflex with the link, open it to flow every thought and feeling to reduce it to allow only the knowledge of each other close by, it had became a little deeper too. And now that she was using it while he was asleep Hermione could see how easy it felt to use it to manipulate his dreams. For every signal of fear and agony, she sent calmness and love. For every image of death and destruction Harry's mind created or retrieved, she sent him a happy image of theirs together throughout the years.

While using the link she could feel the Wand quieting down even more, as if the link shielded them both from the Deathstick that remained within her bubble spell across the room.

Soon, Harry's end was only receiving memories from her. Hermione kept on with her memories of theirs, he needed to rest and relax, his mind could take that much and he was more vulnerable to the Wand's power than her. She needed him intact, his brain had to sustain all this. She only hoped using the link wouldn't damage him in some way as it was all untouched territory.

Memories of them together having fun, strolling around the Hogwarts Lake, laughing, dancing in the tent, just the two of them, having fun at Hogsmeade, spending time with Teddy Lupin, graduating from Hogwarts and their N.E.W.T.s, making love three nights ago. She sent him all the true memories that popped up in her head of him despite her tiredness and through them, she also felt better although locked up in a dark cellar with a corrupting object. She was also with her husband and best friend. She knew they would make it.

Time was a funny thing, she wasn't sure how long she was doing that, she was sure she must had slumbered herself and the link worked on its own. She wasn't sure how but her sleep was without nightmares, only random images of hers and Harry during their years at school. Late night talks over Chinese food in his old apartment in London, watching him in Quidditch matches all over Britain for various English and European cups. Her dreams had been a collage of happy and casual images through the years.

She opened her eyes and found herself with her head resting on Harry's chest. She looked up at him and found him awake and looking at her.

' _The link is completely blocking the Wand's pull,'_ Harry sent and Hermione realized that while completely open to the link, she felt no physical pain, the Wand's constant humming and provoking was absent.

' _We slept within the link….'_ Hermione observed and Harry nodded.

' _Slept normally for the first time in three days, Kreacher popped in a few minutes ago, we're in here for three days. He brought some food and fresh water,'_ Harry sent back and Hermione nodded as Harry kissed her forehead.  _'Hermione, the link is the perfect defense against the Wand's current,'_ Harry added and Hermione nodded again. She had to admit this was the only magic that seemed to work against the Wand or at least halting its constant pursuit for them.

' _We need to use the Wand while connected,'_ Harry sent back and Hermione traced her fingers against his chest, close to his heart.

' _I only hope it won't kill us, if the Wand finds a way to violate the link that we still don't know how to defend… it will go through us, Harry, it will consume us from the inside.'_ Hermione sent back and Harry nodded and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles.

' _It's our only chance,'_ Harry sent back and Hermione stood up first, extending her hand for him to take. He grabbed her hand and stood up.

' _Let's get done with it,'_ Hermione sent through the link and Harry nodded. The couple moved closer to the Wand, with a wave of her hand, the protective spell broke, yet the humming of the Deathstick was slightly felt by the couple. This encouraged them to feel stronger before the Hallow.

Without hesitation this time, they touched the Elder Wand at the same time, their fingers intertwined as they grasped at it, still connected through the link. They raised it between them with their hands as one around it.

They felt as if being pulled by the navel, like in a portkey. Only they knew it were their consciousness travelling and not their bodies.

' _When will you put it in your head? We're in this together.'_

' _Merry Christmas, Hermione,' 'Merry Christmas, Harry,' they stood before the tombstone, in the snowy graveyard._

' _I wish we could stay here, grow old,'_

'… _and I think you know too,' 'I'll go with you,' 'No, kill the snake, kill the snake and then it's just Him…'_

' _You choose him,' Ron stormed out of the tent._

' _You're brilliant, Hermione, truly,' Harry admired her in the tent._

_Hey, little train! Wait for me!_

_I once was blind but now I see_

_Have you left a seat for me?_

_Is that such a stretch of the imagination?_

_They danced in the tent, in their darkest time; they chose what was right over what was easy._

' _Why do you live?' Voldemort asked through his teeth._

' _Because I have something worth living for,' Harry replied before they could attack each other._

They ran through various memories, shared and not, they were displayed before their eyes by their own link as it reacted to the contact with the Wand and soon they found themselves before new forms, they were inside the Elder Wand, while held in a protective field from their bond.

There were dark wizards around them, their eyes piercing through the couple as they tried to approach, all the shadows of previous Masters of the Elder Wand were within it. Hermione and Harry actually recognized some of them and their need to feed upon the couple.

Gellet Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy.

All the figures were distorted, only their shadows remained imprinted within the Wand. Savage for magical power, a dark piece of each wizard was absorbed by the wand and remained in there like a shadow.

' _Focus on the Stone,'_ They commanded each other internally and tried to refocus their minds, always within the protective shield of their link.

' _Stab it, Hermione! Stab it!' Ron screamed as Hermione had been paralyzed before the mirage of the dead form of Harry's, his eyes open, a trail of blood down his chin. Hermione finally stabbed the basilisk's fang against the Cup of Hufflepuff with a scream of desperation and the Cup erupted in black smoke, Voldemort's shriek was heard all over the Chamber of Secrets._

' _I can't lose him, I can't lose Harry,' Hermione whispered as Ron tried to comfort her with desperation on his features._

_Harry stabbed the Diary with a fang and the memory of Tom Riddle dissolved before his eyes before it could get destroyed. Ginny lay close to Harry._

_Fred Weasley was standing in a corner, sad but calm, not belonging in the place yet enduring. Across the basement, there was Ginny Weasley with the Resurrection Stone bound on a chain around her neck. Molly Weasley was by her side, her eyes full of tears as she looked between her living and her lost children._

' _We're to be a big family. We'll find Hermione for Ron and Harry for me and we'll be all happy, George will be happy again.' Ginny reassured her tearful mother as Fred remained silent and cold in the corner, looking at his sister with lost eyes. 'We'll be happy!' Ginny repeated and her mother tried to reach for her but Ginny shook her mother's hands away, she was trembling, her lip was twisting._

' _Sweetheart… this is not right, what have you done? The ministry is searching for you! For how long you've been doing this?' Molly tried to reason with Ginny but the youngest Weasley was not listening._

' _What am I doing? I'm trying to help our family, Fred is here! We can be happy, mum! Fred is here for a long time now, we only need George and they'll both be happy!' Ginny was moving her hands in the air, trying to prove her point. The Stone however remained unmoving against her chest, as if it had been hooked up on her skin…_

Harry and Hermione watched in horror through the link as they realized this was probably the basement of the Burrow, where Ginny had hidden the Stone. They thought it'd be an enemy. They  _hoped_  it would be someone they can take down with the Wand itself if need be. Now things were much more complicated. Ginny, the one possessed by Tom Riddle's Diary in the elegant age of eleven had the Resurrection Stone, or actually the Stone had her. She was in danger because of the powerful Hallow. She was using the Stone for who knows how long and the Stone was consuming her.

' _We need to go back,'_ Hermione demanded and Harry agreed as they found themselves trapped in the Burrow's basement, unseen. They saw everything through their own link and the Hallows' connection.

They both focused on returning. The basement vanished, they found themselves in a dark corridor, very similar to the one of the Department of Mysteries, where the prophesies used to be held. The Wand was using traps familiar to their minds. Inside their link, they held hands and started running down the only corridor they found. It seemed endless and they ran even faster into the darkness, hoping it would lead somewhere,  _anywhere_ , not sure if they were running deeper into the Wand or out of it.

They halted with gasps as they saw a figure within the Darkness.

A robust male figure showed up before them, his face was distorted into a grim expression, his hands were full of blood, his throat slit with black blood running down.

' _Antioch Peverell,'_ Hermione sent through the link as the man seemed to be looking at them, complete blackness filled the sockets of his eyes.

The Darkness around him dissolved and all the previous Masters of the Wand showed up again, a few tens of wizards were around the inventor of the Wand. The couple's own shadows were there, holding hands in black clothes, mirroring Harry and Hermione in reverse. They were the only figures being semi-transparent as the Wand hadn't devoured them yet.

'Allow the Wand to be one with you, embrace your power through it.' A younger Albus Dumbledore offered with a smile in his black clothes. All the Masters surrounded Peverell and stepped closer to the couple, engulfing them. 'Be who you truly are.' He added with his reassuring eyes smiling at the couple. He was so tempting, all the struggling would be gone, their enemies would be gone, even if they were close friends and family.

Both Harry and Hermione closed their eyes and focused on exiting the spectrum of the Wand. The Deathstick reacted and the next thing they knew was themselves hurled against the charmed walls of the cellar at Grimmauld. This time they could feel every ache and pained spot of their bodies from each other within the link. Their bond was wide open, sending and receiving every thought, feeling and sensation.

'Master Potters!' Kreacher exclaimed as Harry and Hermione stood up with effort.

'What are you doing here, Kreacher?' Harry asked with a pained voice as he helped Hermione up, they felt exhausted but the adrenaline was cursing through their veins, they had found the Stone. The Elder Wand was tossed on the floor and Hermione sent it back in its box with a levitating charm, not wanting to touch it again.

'Kreacher had to break the spells allowing him in only for awhile. Kreacher watched you frozen before the Wand, Master Potter,' the elf was babbling. 'Kreacher had to inform you, Kreacher tried to see if you could understand but you were lost!' the elf was upset and Hermione tried to approach him, her body still hurting, the curse of Dolohov burning through her chest like the night it had hit her.

'What happened, Kreacher?' Hermione tried gentler than Harry.

'The Weasley younger son is trying to enter the mansion, Mistress. The wards keep him out but he's been trying, he even attacked the wards. Kreacher asked him to stop and promised to notify you. The Weasley boy said it's about his family.' Kreacher replied and Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Molly knew, maybe Ron knew as well. They had to find him, they had to go to the Burrow. They had to stop Ginny and retrieve the Stone.

'Let Ron in, Kreacher, we'll be up in a moment.' Harry ordered the elf who bowed and disappeared without another word. Harry looked at Hermione and the Wand, if they were to destroy the Stone they needed the Wand, the Wand that had tried to take them in a few moments ago.

'We have to use it once, for the Stone,' Hermione echoed his thoughts in a grim voice. Harry approached the Wand and took it in his hand. Nothing happened, the Wand was silent, as if it was waiting for the right moment when the couple would be using it together again. It was either itself or them and they knew the Deathstick knew that.

'We need it with us.' Hermione noted and Harry sighed. The Wand wanted them, he was sure it wouldn't give its allegiance to anyone before it could conquer Harry and Hermione, the only Masters able to destroy it. It never yielded to Voldemort, it would change hands only after destroying them.

Harry put it in the inside pocket of his robes as Hermione started breaking through the spells he had cast to engulf the cellar. Soon, they were opening the door of it and emerged in the ground level, where Lily and James waited for them, their eyes full of worry and fear at the couple's miserable state.

The shades of his parents had no time to say a word to Harry and Hermione as Ron apparated in the kitchen a moment later. His robes were ruffled and smudged from spells, his eyes red and furious. He looked at them in fear.

'I need your help, now,' He only said and both Harry and Hermione nodded their heads as the trio apparated out of Grimmauld Place at the same time for the Burrow.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOH SO it's Ginny! I wanted someone who has already been corrupted with magical objects apart from the trio and Ginny had been through a lot with the Diary horcrux so I chose her for reasons explained in the next chapter, I hope you liked this one, please let me know 3
> 
> Reviews are love and support
> 
> CP09


	14. The Bridge

Chapter Fourteen – The Bridge

They reappeared at the Burrow, within an onslaught of screaming curses and beams of light. They were sent in overdrive as they started averting spells and raising shields of protection for each other. The ministry wouldn't stop and ask if they were indeed on their side so they simply followed Ron who was running towards his family's house and help the Weasleys who were actually outside, defending the place. Aurors had circled the Burrow.

'It's Harry Potter!' someone shouted but the couple ignored everyone as they rushed behind their best friend. After their last encounter with the minister for Magic and taking the Wand of Destiny, they weren't sure if they were still allies with the Aurors. The Deathstick burned inside Harry's pocket to be used. He did his best to ignore the urge to draw it out of his pocket, the taste of its power still lingering within him, bittersweet.

'They've come for Ginny!' Ron screamed through the commotion around them as they reached the door of the basement. They barely had the time to open the doors and rush inside the dark place before closing themselves inside and avoiding more spells as they bounced at the entrance.

Harry and Hermione were exhausted, gasping through their teeth, trying to catch their breath and adjust their eyes. The place was dimly lit, the smell betrayed humidity and spoiled food. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron as they illuminated their wands. They found themselves in a small space before another door. Harry went to that part of the basement a summer or two before, just to grab one of the old family broomsticks. Now the place was empty of things, the door seemed to have a lock. Ron looked at the couple of friends, his eyes tired, he glanced for a moment at their hands that didn't hold wands, checking if they were intertwined. He sighed and looked back at his best friends.

'I had no idea what was happening.' Ron started and Harry didn't have to glance at Hermione to know what to say next.

'We know Ginny has the Resurrection Stone, Ron.' Harry announced and Ron looked at them in shock.

'How?' he asked and looked at Hermione.

'Long story short, the ministry messed up with the Elder Wand, we have it. We need the Stone too, we must destroy it before we finish the Wand.' Hermione tried to explain, the spells were still bouncing off the doors, shielding them from the fight outside. She raised her wand and cast some protection spells that would buy them some time.

'She's behind these doors, Mum knew, she's in there as well. I learned about it only a few days ago. I had no idea, guys. I tried to contact you but Grimmauld felt like a fortress.' Ron explained and Harry felt his own along with Hermione's guilt curse through their veins, he had contacted them, he wanted to see them away from everyone else but they had thought it was because of their marriage. Their friendship had turned into a hardship that cost them valuable time. 'Mum knew for at least a few months now. I'm not sure how long Gin has had the Stone.' Ron added and Harry sighed.

'It could be years,' the raven haired man added and Ron rubbed his forehead.

'I don't know, I honestly don't. All I know is… Ginny is not well… we made it to take her wand but… her powers have changed. The ministry tried to take her, Mum refused, she begged me to find you two. We've been trying to keep them off but we know they simply don't kill us because we're War Heroes and they don't want this out on the front. Dad warned us at the last moment.' Ron concluded; his voice grim as he looked at his best friends in desperation. A lot of things had happened between them but they remained close, they knew each other like no other. Ron had no idea about the couple's ordeal with the Hallows so far, or Harry's parents, or their magical mental bond but the dynamics in the trio had shifted and finally, it felt as if they had the right positions.

'We're here to help, Ron,' Hermione tried to reassure him and the ginger gave a nod.

 _Ginny might be dangerous._ Hermione sent to Harry who nodded as Ron moved closer to the door and opened it.

The room wasn't large, as Harry and Hermione remembered through the Wand, it was mostly empty, seeing it through their own eyes gave little difference in detail. Ginny was in a corner, crawled with her knees brought up to her face, her head bend down. Molly was close to her, she pointed her wand towards the three who raised their hands in a sign of surrender, the Weasley Matriarch was on edge, being the last defense of her only daughter.

Harry and Hermione did their best to ignore the surreal sight of no one else but Fred Weasley on the other corner of the room, he was semi transparent, younger than George, silent, vacant looking. Harry's parents were still talkative, with memories and explanations, feelings and even humor. But they were in the wrong plain of existence for a few days. The echo of Fred's soul seemed worn out, the couple couldn't possibly guess how long he had been kept in the world of the living through the Stone under Ginny's command.

' _Talk to her.'_ Hermione urged Harry through their link as she glanced once more at the vacant looking ghost of Fred. She had to put an end to this, for Harry's and her own sake. After Ginny, no matter how she would end up, it was their turn for the Stone to corrupt.

The trio remained unmoving, Molly was silent and Fred remained motionless, possibly without seeing the new arrivals as Harry moved a step forward from his wife and their best friend. Hermione was between the two men, like always, and she and Ron looked at him with fearful eyes as he stopped before the young woman and her mother.

'Ginny…. It's me, Harry,' He announced unsure. She remained unmoving only for a moment longer, his voice seemed to make her move from her position, she raised her head and looked at him, her eyes full of hope.

They hadn't been together for years. She had tried many times over but he had been clear about his feelings for her. Whatever they had during that year at Hogwarts had actually been over during the hunt. He had watched her dot in the map while in the tent because he had connected her with the protection of his old school, with the familiarity of the people there. When the war was over, they had been left to find their relationship lacking depth, emotions and knowledge. But Ginny had been there back in his sixth year, with his teenager chest monster and her presence back then, she had helped him. She had been his first lover, even if for her, he had been her second, after Dean, still, she had been a part of his life. She knew her for two decades. She was Ron's sister, that mattered the most, he had saved her from the Diary of Voldemort, he would save her again now, he owed that to her and Ron.

'Harry,' her voice was strange, as if she hadn't uttered a word in days. Her gaze drifted to Hermione, for a moment actual hatred flickering in them before she could look at Ron and then back at Hermione, then back at Harry. 'You're here, for me,' Ginny added mostly to herself and Harry nodded.

'We're all here for you, Gin,' Harry tried again and Ginny smiled this time, her smile never reaching her wild eyes. The Stone had worked on her for a very long time, this was evident.

'Ron is with Hermione,' Ginny assumed and Harry was ready to say something about it, but Hermione's voice reasoned with him.

' _Play along,'_ she had the time to send and finally Harry nodded his head as Ginny's attention shifted to him. As she moved slightly against the wall Harry could see the Stone actually settled in her skin, halfway hooked inside her body, close to her heart. As the Diary Horcrux had absorbed her, now the Stone was sucking her health, both mental and physical. He wasn't sure why Ginny had this tendency against dark objects, just like her brother had been affected the most by the Locket. Harry didn't have time to explain things nor wonder how powerful the Stone actually was.

Ginny moved with difficulty on her own two feet, refusing Molly's help who had remained silent by her daughter's side and looking at the three people before them. The youngest Weasley moved closer to Harry, her hands were empty, indeed her wand had been taken. She had lost a lot of weight, her clothes were dirty, her face paler than usual and tired. Ginny hesitated only for a moment before she could flung herself on Harry who could only open his arms and hug her as she wrapped her arms around him. He could feel the surge of panic and fear through Hermione, cursing through him like a wave as she was weary of Ginny. Deep down he was proud Hermione didn't feel jealousy or annoyance, his wife was better than that.

Ginny's eyes glanced at Fred at the end of the room who finally looked up at her and shook his head. Through the Stone, she was controlling him.

'They are lying to you,' Fred simply informed his living sister and Ginny broke the embrace with Harry quickly and looked at the trio furiously.

'No we are not,' Harry tried and Ginny snapped her head back at Fred who shook his own, his motions apathetic of the magical energy that charged through the basement. Ginny looked back at Harry and Hermione.

'All I wanted… all I wanted,' Ginny started stammering as Molly tried to move closer to her but Ginny raised her hand and shielded herself in a cocoon of power. The Stone was using Ginny, amplifying her powers and making her use powerful spells wandlessly, anything to keep itself safe. 'Was to make us a big family again. Like before you abandoned me for the Horcruxes.' Ginny added, her voice breaking.

' _Calm her down, long enough for us to take the Stone,'_ Harry shook his head at Ginny's words but sent his agreement through his link with Hermione.

'I didn't mean to, Gin, I had to finish what I had started with Dumbledore. You know that.' Harry tried and Ginny looked at him unsure, her perception lost. 'How did you find the Stone?' He asked her and for the first time she seemed to smile genuinely, her hand moving up to her skin and stroking the semi-buried Hallow.

'You told me about the Hallows…. You never told me about the location of the Stone…' Ginny started and Harry nodded this time. 'But in your dreams, for the first year, you spoke through your nightmares.' Ginny added and Harry frowned, feeling vulnerable before her. 'But it wasn't just your nightmares. Ever since my second year, my mind remained open… violated, many times you projected your nightmares and I picked them up. I saw the location, I saw the centaurs running over it right after you threw it there.' Ginny added and Harry for a moment wondered how she made it to pass the ministry's evaluation tests, maybe she hadn't, that's why the aurors were trying to get to them all now.

Voldemort had messed with the deeper parts of her brain through his Horcrux. 'When she and I went back for our seventh year,' Ginny added, looking at Hermione with furious eyes again. 'I searched, in all my spare time I searched through the forbidden forest. And I found it, or it found me, I am not sure.' Ginny added and Harry finally nodded, feeling guilty for actually throwing the Hallow carelessly that night in the mud.

He was only eighteen, he hadn't through of the extent of the Hallows' powers. Of course the Stone would have searched for a new owner. 'I hadn't used it in a long time, hoping we would make it. But you started drifting away from me, with that bloody team and all I wanted was my family to be reunited. I wanted Fred back, I wanted you back, I wanted Ron happy.' Ginny added, and tears started running down her cheeks, there was a cup of something Molly had brought her daughter that flew across the room and smashed against the stone wall, making everyone gasp and look back at Ginny.

'How long have you've been using the stone, Gin?' Harry tried to ask calmly, the redhead looked at him in wonder.

'I…' Ginny tried this time to answer, for a moment only, her eyes seemed to clear the fog that existed in them, the shield around her failing. 'I… What is the year?' she asked in fear as she looked up at her family and friends and touched her lips with the trembling hand that had been stroking the Stone before.

Harry could see now why he had found her persistence over the years so strange. At first he had thought it was because he didn't know her so well. Then, he had thought she simply was stubborn with her idea of them as a couple. But now, now he could see it was partly the Stone, feeding itself from the need of Ginny to go back to that time where all her relatives were alive, where she was safe and without responsibility. Like Ginny herself had been Harry's connection to Hogwarts during the Hunt, the Stone had been Ginny's link to her old life before the war.

'Ginny, I need the Stone, please,' Harry tried to exploit the moment of clarity. Ginny didn't have the time to nod, her eyes shut in pain as she screamed and her body arched backwards, her torso protracted. Molly screamed in horror as she looked at her child falling under the Stone's torturous influence.

There was a bang from outside the door of the room, aurors would invade the basement any moment. Ginny's body was engulfed in the same cocoon like before and Harry and Hermione looked at each other before anyone could do something more. The Aurors would injure and capture her but the Stone would actually kill Ginny. Ron moved towards the door, trying to shield the door with more spells as Hermione rushed close to Harry the moment he drew out the Elder Wand. Molly tried to move forward, to shield her child from the couple but Hermione moved her aside with a wandless spell and then wrapped her hand around Harry's that held the Deathstick.

For a moment they saw the shadows like before, all eager for the wand to be used, for the Stone to bring them back, all the previous Masters were there, between the Hallows. The couple didn't have to summon the Stone as the Wand itself beckoned it.

The scream that ripped through Ginny's throat made their blood run cold but there was no other way. The Stone detached itself with a sickening ripping sound from her skin as the Second Hallow couldn't deny the pull of the Elder Wand. Hermione reached for it and took it in her hand, Ginny's blood still on it. It hummed with power so close to the Wand after almost twenty years. Fred vanished from the end of the room. Ginny collapsed with Molly rushing close to her child and reaching her just in time before she could hit her head on the cold floor. Ron's spell yielded before the combined attempts of the Aurors outside, but the couple didn't stay long enough to be disarmed or attacked. The Wand was feeding through them and it would abandon them the moment someone disarmed them. They apparated away with a loud crack. Leaving in guilt and fear of what the Weasleys would face on their own.

They were back in Grimmauld a moment later. Out of breath and wandlessly sealing the place again. No one would be able to follow them, at least for the next hours. The couple could only hope Kingsley would keep his Aurors from coming after them. They looked at each other and Hermione moved her hand between them, the stone glistered in the dim light of Grimmauld's living room. This had been faster than they expected. They didn't have to kill anyone and they hoped no one would be killed.

Without a word, vocal or mental, Harry took the still blooded Stone. For a moment more, they were alone, then, James, Lily, Remus, Tonks and Sirius were with them, smiling at them calmly.

'Well done,' Sirius smiled at his godson who smiled at him tiredly, the couple could feel the Wand feeding off them, this had to be their final time all together. 'I am so glad you ended up with Hermione, the brightest witch of our age,' he added and Harry couldn't help but smile wider, Stone or not, he was with his entire family.

'We are very proud of both of you,' Remus added and Tonks nodded.

'Thank you for taking care of our boy,' she added and Harry and Hermione nodded.

'We love you all very much,' Harry said honestly, they had to be quick. He looked at his parents.

'Thank you for the past days,' he added and Lily smiled gently at the young couple. He had cherished the time with his parents, but now that the Stone was actually in his hands along the Wand, he could feel the pull, its need to be attached and used all the time. He could also see the ghost's appearance, like back in the forbidden forest that night he faced Voldemort, was less transparent, more human like for the Stone to trap them.

'We love you very much,' Lily added.

'We'll always be with you,' James finally said to his son and daughter in law who nodded and took Harry's hand.

'Take care of my thick-headed godson, Hermione, please!' Sirius added and Hermione chuckled tearfully and nodded.

'With my life,' she finally said to Harry's family, her own family, she always knew. 'There is not one day that we don't miss you,' she added to her friends, Sirius, Remus and Tonks had been symbols of love and resistance for her, just like her in-laws of hope and sacrifice.

'Now go back to that basement and get rid of the bloody things once and for all,' Tonks offered with a smile and the couple nodded their heads and looked at Harry's parents for a moment more, there was nothing else to say and so many things to be told. They only nodded at the seemingly younger couple of Harry's parents and left the room. Hermione holding Harry's hand tightly as they rushed back to the enchanted basement.

The door closed behind them, Hermione took the Stone from Harry's hand and placed it on the stone table they had the Wand before. They looked at the Hallow for a moment. Harry was still holding the Elder Wand, for a moment he looked around the room and wandlessly summoned a folded delicate fabric.

'I thought we'd need it too, the moment we'd have the Stone.' Harry added as she looked at his invisibility Cloak. He mostly felt how impressed she was with him and in spite of the dire situation, he smiled at her warmly. 'Hold this,' he offered the Wand to her and the moment she did, she could feel the burning sensation, her theory seemed right, the Wand was rejecting her, she was a woman, the Master's wife, his love, the catalyst for its destruction. Despite the pain, she felt confident this would work in their favor.

Harry covered them both with the cloak, symbolically they'd avoid death, but they couldn't help and feel like these little children that sneaked around Hogwarts, for a moment. The married couple smiled at each other honestly, their link filling with the memories and the love they shared for the past two decades and Hermione winced as the Wand burned the skin of her hand more. Harry took it from her smaller hand and she placed her tender palm above his. They pointed the Wand towards the Stone.

Their consciousnesses were pulled within the Hallows. They found themselves on a bridge, there was a wild river running under it, souls were rushing down the water, the couple noticed some of those shadows they had seen in the Wand, now the remains of their darkness washed down the river. Three figures were standing on the bridge, before them an unnaturally tall but hunching figure. The twilight behind them was giving itself to night. They were at the moment it all started, an entire circle would be able to close or become never-ending.

Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus Peverell were receiving the gifts of Death. The couple watched as the trio bragged about their win over Death who simply bowed and moved aside so they could cross the bridge. The massive figure approached them, the cloak was concealing them but Death could see them, they were familiar to Him after all.

The scull beneath his semi-transparent hood was terrifying, his long bone fingers and the skeleton for a body were shivering worthy but the couple stood its ground with the actual gifts of Death in their possession.

 _Brave and Alive._ A hissing like sound reached their ears.

 _Young and Handsome._ The voice was heard again.

 _Brilliant and Fertile._ Compliments or all the things Death longed for and fed upon.

 _Wise and Beautiful._ The hooded figure moved its long hand close to their cloak and they were suddenly uncovered, bare before Death, naked and exposed to the Ripper, the invisibility cloak became one with Death's own cloak, once again.

 _Compassionate and Innocent._ The voice remained, as if calculating, giving the final judgment on the scales. The couple remained unmoving, the Wand and the Stone in their holding hands.

 _In Love._ The voice finally concluded and to the couple's horror the long bone fingers gripped the gossamer from the ugly scull, revealing a long bone face with no nose or eyes, long teeth and a prolonged chin. They both moved closer to each other, trying to shield their other half, just like Lily Potter had predicted for them, volunteering to die for each other.

For a moment, out of urge and human need, the couple was ready to raise the Wand before its actual and only Master. The Deathstick was humming with power, the Stone vibrating at the presence of its creator. Both Hallows craved for the couple's souls as much as Death craved them for himself. Harry and Hermione were Death's forbidden fruit, he was familiar with them but they always slipped through his horrible fingers.

They both stopped, they would face Death once more, they looked at him in his ugly eyes and smiled. They had faced him before, they realized his face was familiar. Both Harry and Hermione had escaped him but at that moment, they were together, like always, only now, they had found each other and their love, the missing component. It didn't matter if they departed this life, they had lived through sorrow and through joy, through loss and through love. If this was their end, they were ready.

_I love you_

They broke their hold of their hands, knowing they were together in this, Harry held the Wand and Hermione the Stone. They both bowed their heads and extended their hands before them offering back Death's gifts. No power, no bringing back the dead, or the need to avoid Him existed anymore. Death could have his gifts back, he could also have them for they had each other.

_Love_

Death gave in, reaching for the gifts, without touching their skin, he picked up his gifts, floating them to himself. Only then Hermione and Harry raised their heads and looked at their faith.

Death crushed the Stone in his bonny fist, its dust falling through the bones of his fingers. He then held the Wand with both hands and snapped it in two, throwing it down the river that was running under the bridge. He then faced the couple again. He moved aside and gestured for them.

At the end of the bridge, engulfed in light, there were the Potters, the Lupins, Sirius and his brother Regulus, Albus Dumbledore, Fred Weasley, Cedric Diggory and so many more. Before them all, there were themselves, happily smiling back at them, nodding their heads. A few steps further down the bridge and they'd be done with the mortal fears, with the decay of age and the hardships, with the failures of human nature. They could reach the light together.

It wasn't their time yet, not after so many years of trying to live.

Both Harry and Hermione looked at Death and putting all their trust and strength in their love and decision in common, they turned around towards the other side of the bridge, their back at Death who remained unmoving on the Bridge.

At the other side there were fewer people and less light, the familiarity of life, Ron and Luna and Hermione's parents, Teddy and Andromeda, Minerva McGonagall and Neville, some more friends and two children, a boy with black hair and green eyes and a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. Away from the small group there was a forest and a house in it. There was decay and there was beauty.

The bridge shook violently the moment the couple broke to a sprint, naked and running off the collapsing bridge the Peverells had conjured to cross the tricky river. The figure behind them spread its long wings and hovered above the river, waiting to see if they would end up in the side they'd chosen or if the river would take their souls without striking a deal for a normal life or a peaceful afterlife. The couple ran with all their might away from Death once again. The bridge groaned as it dissolved and both Harry and Hermione jumped to the shore at the last moment, saving themselves at the side of the living. They remained on the decaying grass as the massive figure spread His wings and left empty-handed, thousands of crows following him from the surrounding trees.

They would meet him again one day, they knew.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo Hermione and Harry made it to destroy the Hallows! I hope you liked the chapter, I think a small epilogue for the final loose ends will be made. I hope you enjoyed it, I wanted to explore more the Stone's power as the saga was focused on the Wand but I think the Stone would be as destructive... Poor Ginny, I also wanted to exploit a little the younger Weasleys' weaknesses with dark magical objects.
> 
> What you think? you liked it? you hated it? please leave a review.
> 
> CP09


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

Summer 2011

The small house in the forest of Dean, concealed by muggle or magical eyes, was quiet as the sun rose in the sky. The greenery around the forest made the house a haven for the couple that wished privacy.

The man in the kitchen of the ground floor was using the coffee maker, muggle and magical devices worked in sync, thanks to the couple's connections with the Ministry for Magic. He loved the house, a proper household for two magical people raised in muggle backgrounds. He never liked to use his name and connections to achieve things but for the house he had played every influence card. Special permission for the Floo network, allowance to use powerful concealing spells, muggle-repellant spells as they built the house within the forest, as his wife had wished for. The house itself had been ready in less than six months. Last spring they finally moved in and ever since it had been their haven.

He was dressed in black trousers and a black blouse, his socks black as well. He would put on his shoes before he left the house with his wife. He heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs to the first floor of the house and soon his best friend for twenty years and wife for one, entered the room and smiled sadly at him. Her black dress and tights almost concealing her five-month pregnant belly. He filled a cup of coffee for her as well, decaf as he had made sure to stock the kitchen with it. She took the cup gratefully and drank the black liquid, closing her eyes at the taste.

'It's really good, for decaf,' Hermione commented and Harry smiled slightly and nodded his head as he rested the small of his back on the counter and opened his arm for her to approach. She did so and wrapped her own arm around him, her face snuggling on the black fabric of his blouse. Her belly pushing slightly his own body.

' _I had imagined our first anniversary different.'_ Harry sent through the bond and Hermione sighed and nodded. Cancelled airplane tickets and ten days in Italy had to be postponed. He would have to go back to his Quidditch team after that but he would make some time in the Christmas break for them to go somewhere then.

' _We were not traditionally married, we wouldn't have a traditional first year anniversary,'_ Hermione sent and Harry nodded and kissed her lips. One year ago, he was facing his dead parents a day after his Elvis marriage in Vegas, a year later he had to attend a funeral with his wife.

Ginny Weasley had been captured by Aurors the night the Stone had been found. Soon the authorities realized she hadn't committed crimes serious enough to have a trial, apart from the resistance against the department of aurors the entire family had showed. Along the rest of the Weasleys, the case was dropped and the Ministry dismissed the situation as they wished to show control and confidence to the Wizarding Community.

It was Harry and Hermione who finished the Hallows for everyone's sake. It was the couple that had been found by Kreacher the next day in the cellar, the elf had called upon Ron and Andromeda to help as the couple had been found comatose by the elf. They had spent days on the fourth floor of St Mungo's hospital, drifting in and out of consciousness with most healers not sure how to approach the magical situation as the Hallows had never been encountered by anyone who survived to tell the tale.

It was their magical wedding and the sacrificial spell that kept them alive and their bond that brought them back, all based on the couple's unconditional love. Shared dreams, feelings, healing through it, their brains and hearts endured, their consciousnesses found each other and emerged from the deepest corners of their beings.

Something, they realized, hadn't happened for Ginny. By the time the couple recovered, she had been moved in the ward 49, where the long-term cases remained.

Her brain had been strained beyond hope, her perception of time and space was limited and the wound made by the Resurrection Stone refused to heal no matter the spells and potions she received. Her sleep had been limited, haunted by nightmares of the Diary possessing her and the Stone bringing back the dead. Everyone understood why the second brother took his own life in his desperation to find salvation. Ginny was living with the aftermath of the Stone's long-term use, she spoke to the dead who were not there, she was unable to recognize the living surrounding her.

She deteriorated, if it wasn't for the hospital staff and their excellent care, she would have died months ago. If Harry and Hermione hadn't taken the Stone, she would have died within days. Hermione had a theory that the Stone had realized Ginny was dying so it was seeking out for its master, showing Harry his parents, in an attempt to summon him close to It so it could remain in use. No matter how hard the healers fought, the Hallow had planted its seeds of destruction and Ginny's life was prolonged only because of the care she received.

Three days ago, the healers had summoned the close family and even though she failed to recognise anyone, Ginerva Weasley died among friends and family. Harry and Hermione had been among the people close to her. After their own recovery they built their bridges with Ron, leaving behind the awkward past and hoping for a better future. He needed them in his life and after almost losing them once more, he realized that he would either have them as one or not at all. They were glad he accepted them, at their sight of immediate perish, the trio came back together again. For the first time in years, they cherished their long friendship more than their individual issues with each other, something the three friends had forgotten, lost in the men's unconscious rivalry, Harry and Hermione's suppressed feelings and Ron's insecurities.

They had been warned that Ginny's time was nearing so they canceled their trip to Italy to stay close to Ron, when his sister left. They were there to comfort their best friend and the rest of his family.

Everyone had been devastated but the most miserable figure was Molly. She wouldn't lift off the blame from her shoulders as she was the one who knew the longest about Ginny using the Stone. She had tried in vain to stop her child but as she had admitted through her tears, she had been trapped by the Stone herself at the sight of Fred.

No one could go back and fix things – partly because they weren't sure when Ginny actually started using the Stone- as Hermione had explained to her desperate best friend… Ron had no idea how time travel worked but still he had tried to persuade his friends to go back and help his sister.

' _After the ceremony. I want you to rest,'_ Harry offered through their link and felt Hermione smile and nod.

She had been tiring herself for the past days with the trips to the hospital, the time spent with the Weasleys and the limited sleep she was getting because of the situation.

After their encounter with death, or whatever that vision-like experience was, the Hallows had been deactivated. The Elder Wand was reduced to a piece of wood that little by little cracked and started withering until it was a little white twig. The Stone had been cracked open and the Cloak was torn and destroyed to a piece of fabric. Kreacher had taken care of the destroyed Hallows until the couple was released from the hospital and when they were back to full health, they had hidden the objects in the foundation of their current household, forever buried in the earth.

Ever since they escaped Death -in that scenery their consciousnesses had been taken-, three days ago was the first time they saw Death again. They didn't see him with their own physical eyes but they had felt him like no one else from the people around them. They had felt him waiting until he could seize the final breath from Ginny's parted lips, an ice cold grip, a presence of emptiness, a pull at the heart as if someone was sucking the life-force out of the dying woman was what the couple had felt in that hospital room.

Being the Masters of Death had its own lasting effects and they were glad they had closed the vicious circle. Ginny had been the example they had needed to erase the Hallows from the face of the earth.

' _It's over for Ginny, we need to move on,'_ Harry added mentally and left his cup on the counter behind him so he could caress Hermione's belly.

Harry had been shaken to his very core when he had felt the third presence between them. They had realized what was happening before Hermione could be late with her period. Their Bond had developed rapidly during their hospitalization, making them share physical and mental sensations along emotions and thoughts, it had been the only way for them to survive.

They had unconsciously feared that after such a close encounter with death, maybe they would have problems creating life but they had reached the side of the bridge where the two children awaited along the rest of their friends and family. They had hoped it hadn't been just a trick, and Harry thanked the Heavens they were right, Hermione's pregnancy was smooth and easy and their son would be born in the middle of November. Best part of it all: he had no prophesy or legacy of fighting evil over his head, thanks to his parents.

'We will.' Hermione reassured her husband and best friend who nodded. They finished their coffees and left the cups in the sink before they could exit the kitchen of their cottage. Crookshanks jumped on their sofa and watched them at the hall as they put their shoes on. 'Apparate us please,' Hermione requested and Harry nodded and took her hand in his, they were gone with a loud crack.

With another one, they found themselves outside the gates of the cemetery of Otter St Catchpole, the thick forests around the graveyard allowed them to apparate in unnoticed. Still holding hands, the couple moved out of the tree line and moved inside the graveyard. A few people had gathered already and both Harry and Hermione shook hands with close friends like Luna Lovegood and the stricken Dean Thomas. There were Order members, Minerva McGonagall would make the eulogy for the fallen Gryffindor, just as she had done for Fred. The couple moved among friends until they reached the front where the Weasleys stood before the coffin.

Harry and Hermione parted their hands only to stand on the sides of Ron who had remained silent by Neville's side who made space for the two. Harry moved on Ron's right and Hermione on the left. The moment Hermione took Ron's hand, the ginger haired man broke in tears and hid his face with his free hand. Both Harry and Hermione moved closer until they could physically comfort their best friend with their own heads lowered their eyes full of tears. The rest of the Weasleys were close by, devastated and holding each other. Harry felt for a moment as if it had been yesterday when in similar fashion, they all stood by each other for Fred's funeral, back then he had comforted Ginny. Life had changed so much, Death had claimed some of it.

'Ginerva Weasley was a sweet, loving child,' Professor McGonagall started, her voice breaking from age and emotion. Hermione hadn't made it to keep the promise, another young one had died on McGonagall's watch, not the one expected but certainly one of her own. 'A child that deserved only happiness and love,' the elder witch continued and people tried to hold their sobs and gasps of breath. 'When you survive a war, bury your dead and say your farewells, when you find peace after the struggle, when the guilt and the fear finally vacate your dreams, you expect that the worst is over. But sometimes Death claims the most innocent, the most brave in ways undetected, sometimes Death makes a fool of us, the older ones, by taking away the young, going against Mother Nature itself.' McGonagall added and took a breath as she tried to contain her own tears. 'Ginerva was a talented witch and a brave woman, proud and beautiful, she will remain in our hearts as an example to be followed for her loyalty and her patience, her compassion and her honesty. She will be a reminder of all the good in life for us and the next generation.' Minerva added and everyone nodded their heads as they remained silent and raised their wands for Ginny the moment the coffin was magically moved within the earth and the marble stone carved itself, by her tomb, her brother lay.

Ron finally broke down and moved towards his best friend for support. Harry held his brother in a hug and Hermione rubbed her best friend's back with one hand as the other took away her tears. Ginny had been her friend for years, along Luna, the closest female friend she had, even if there had been rivalry and tension, Ginny had been there, at the Burrow, in Hogwarts, before and after the war, for her, for Harry, for Ron. Ginny was gone and Hermione realized this wound would take a long time to heal.

She could feel through their bond that Harry felt the same. They looked at each other for a moment and it was all they needed to communicate with each other. It was hard to push down the guilt, the "what ifs" surrounding the loss. Experienced, trained Unspeakables hadn't realized who had the Stone, they only found it after Arthur explained to Shackelbolt that Ginerva had been acting strange and the aurors put two and two together but it had been too late and only after Harry and Hermione had taken the wand.

After the end of the Hallows, the ministry had tried to reach the Potters for details, even still at St Mungo's but the Potters had refused to say a word about what had happened or where the Hallows remained after their destruction. They weren't sure what to explain after all. They had only reassured the Minister that the Hallows were destroyed as it was a matter of security and that they were done with the ministry. No more political games, no more shared information on anything, they were done with an institution that only lied and exploited them.

Hermione deep down knew, Ginny had been doomed but she and Harry couldn't help but wonder, if the ministry had given them the letter, if they had let them know, would they have destroyed the Hallows before they could reclaim them? Would Ginny have had a chance then? Or even with the letter and the Wand, their love would only blossom when it did, Harry had the Hallows before under his possession, yet he hadn't gotten the catalyst like a few months ago, he hadn't been with Hermione.

The funeral was over with many people giving their condolences to the grieving Weasleys, the family burying yet another child. Harry and Hermione were left behind with Ron who remained before his siblings' tombs. His tears dried up and his sobs abated, his eyes were red and tired as his friends comforted him.

'Thank you for being here,' he said with a broken voice and both Harry and Hermione nodded and patted his back. 'Everything ok with my Godson in there?' he asked after a moment, glancing at Hermione's belly, the brunette smiled for the first time ever since they reached the graveyard and nodded.

'He's fine,' Hermione reassured him and moved slightly away as Luna reached the trio to give her condolences, she and her father had already spoke to the rest of the family, the Lovegoods were surprisingly simply dressed in dark toned robes without too many accessories on them. Luna kissed Hermione on the cheek in greeting, did the same with Harry and smiled at the couple.

'Hello guys,' she said quietly, the girl that had been captured in the Malfoy manor, helped Harry with the Diadem of Ravenclaw and fought in the final battle was now a grown woman with long curly hair and her blue eyes full of honesty and kindness. Said woman turned towards Ron, smiled at him and cupped his face in her hands, her lips kissing his in a tender kiss only a lover would give.

'I'm here for you,' she reassured him in a calm voice, when the kiss was over. Harry and Hermione had remained with raised eyebrows and surprise coming back and forth through their bond as Ron had the decency to blush crimson as right after the kiss, he had to shake Xenophilius' extended hand who seemed completely unfazed by his daughter's show of affection. The blond father and daughter left quietly outside the graveyard and towards the direction of their own house as they lived close by.

'Uhmmm, you have some explaining to do,' Harry offered as Ron looked at his best friends, he glanced at the retreating back of Luna and the couple saw the hope and care in their friend's eyes before he could look back at them, he couldn't smile, not yet, but his features had softened.

'She's sweet, kind and… Loony understands.' Ron offered and Hermione actually swatted his arm.

'Don't call her that!' she commanded but Ron shook his head as he rubbed his arm.

'It's ok, she calls me Roony,' Ron added and Hermione rolled her eyes. The trio started moving away from the tombs of the Weasley family. Ron was the one to move first and his friends followed, if he was ready to leave, they were with him every step of the way.

'What's wrong with you and nicknames of your girlfriends?' Hermione wondered and the two men laughed, from Won-Won to Roony, there was a pattern there. The trio stopped a few steps before the exit of the graveyard and Ron faced his friends.

'I am going to go to her house, she has helped a lot in the past days, the Burrow is too depressing at the moment,' Ron confessed and both Harry and Hermione could see there was something deeper. Need, need was all over their friend's face for the blond woman, something genuine, dare they say love, was blossoming there.

'You know where to find us the moment you feel the need.' Harry reassured his best friend who nodded and the two men shared a hug before Ron could hug Hermione who wrapped her arms around him in a comforting gesture. They had grown up together, they had been through hell, and even if along the way, they parted ways, made mistakes with their partners, they finally found the right way and that was enough to cement their lifelong friendship.

'Thank you, guys. I will come and visit, I promise.' Ron added when he broke the hug with Hermione.

'If you wish, tell Luna too…' Hermione offered with a smile that was shared by Harry and replied from Ron with one of his own.

'Will do, till then, take care of my Godson,' Ron added as he pointed at Hermione's body, she chuckled and nodded. 'No funny business, that kid needs to make the Cannons the Quidditch Cup champions,' Ron added teasingly as he pointed this time at Harry who chuckled as well.

'The kid will be in United, now go away Weasley,' Harry ordered and Ron grinned for the first time in weeks if not months.

'Never too far away, Potter, not again,' he added and smiled at them as he shoved his hands in his pockets, his tall body relaxing at last as he turned towards the exit of the graveyard, he looked once more at his friends.

'Thanks, guys,' he finally said as Harry took Hermione's hand in his. 'And don't blame yourselves, please, it was Gin's mistake…' he added this time seriously, making the couple nod as he turned around and started walking. The morning sun making his ginger hair stand out through the green field he moved through. The couple looked at each other after Ron was up the hill separating the graveyard from the village.

' _You think he'll be ok?'_ Hermione asked within the link, they had gotten so accustomed on using the bond, it was as natural as breathing.

' _Luna has a way of helping people. Without words, without trying, I think it's what he needs so yes, he'll be fine.'_ Harry sent through their link and Hermione nodded and smiled.  _'Lets go home, my love,'_ Harry added and Hermione reached for a kiss that he gladly gave to his wife. They broke apart after a few moments and smiled at each other.

' _I love you, Harry.'_ Hermione sent through their link.

' _I love you too, both of you,'_ Harry sent back as they glanced between them with smiles on their faces.

_He put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, and she put hers around his waist, and they turned in silence and, back toward the church and the out-of-sight kissing gate._

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to give a closure to everyone's tale, something bittersweet as life is full of failures and bright moments. McGonagall had to be there and I wanted to Luna to pull Ron through, I hope you liked it, please review and let me know?
> 
> Again, a massive thank you for reading this
> 
> until next time
> 
> CP09

**Author's Note:**

> just a first base chapter as to establish the relationships and setting  
> comments?


End file.
